Is South Africa the right voice for Africa on energy?

DW (English)

At the G7 in Canada, South Africa placed African energy security at the center of its agenda — a focus of its G20 presidency too. But do other African nations see Pretoria as a credible voice for the continent on energy?

Transcript

00:00Energy provision, transition and partnerships for Africa.

00:05South Africa is championing the issue on the global stage.

00:10The same country whose power utility has become a meme?

00:14So do other African nations see Pretoria as a credible authority on energy for the continent.

00:21Welcome to the flip side.

00:23When the leaders of the world's seven most advanced economies met in Canada in mid-June 2025,

00:30President Cyril Ramaphosa was the only African leader at the table.

00:34He was there to represent Africa's energy interest at the high-level G7 summit,

00:39a priority South Africa is also advancing through its current G20 presidency.

00:45We must continue to move as a continent to develop regional certification schemes

00:54hydrogen corridors and green product export platforms.

00:59So it's clean energy for Africa and clean energy from Africa.

01:04We're talking renewables like hydro and geothermal, the green kind.

01:09Several African countries already rely heavily on clean energy including Mozambique, Kenya,

01:16the Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi.

01:19Right now, Ethiopia leads the continent in hydroelectricity power generation.

01:24Meanwhile, South Africa's renewable energy potential remains largely untapped.

01:29I feel that South Africa being put in that position has more to do with some kind of form of nepotism

01:37than really what they have to offer when it comes to the side of energy.

01:45They've had a lot of challenges with blackouts. They've had a lot of challenges with rationing of energy.

01:50I don't think they've stabilized as far as Kenya has stabilized when it comes to energy and power issues.

01:57So I feel Kenya should have been the one to have gone out to represent.

02:01Those people who speak for Africa have to speak for Africa in action too.

02:07When you look at South Africa, how they produce their energy, it is not how Kenya produces their energy.

02:14He's got a point, especially coming from Kenya, the continent's leader in renewable energy,

02:20with nearly half of its electricity generated from geothermal sources.

02:24South Africa's current energy production has earned it the title of Africa's biggest polluter.

02:30The core South Africa bonds to keep the light on releases dangerously toxic emissions into the atmosphere.

02:36In South Africa, we need to stop granting ESCOM and other polluters exemptions from minimum emission standards.

02:44These exemptions are directly contributing to avoidable illnesses and death.

02:49Africa's energy experts know South Africa's challenges all too well.

02:54But they say that hasn't sparked any official pan-African pushback against its role as a continental spokesperson.

03:01South Africa is well placed institutionally and politically,

03:04despite their domestic challenges and struggles.

03:07Then, there is the matter of technical expertise.

03:10Technically, South Africa is the most capable, energy capable country on the continent,

03:17particularly hydrogen renewable. Although yet to be a true global representative,

03:24it is some consistent domestic delivery and deeper collaboration with regional powerhouses like Ethiopia.

03:32And that's the flip side.

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