Editor’s Note: From load shedding to renewables: South Africa's energy journey and its continental impact
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Africa depends on South Africa getting it right and being proactive in its development mandate.
This week I had the pleasure of visiting Kenya, Nairobi, thanks to represent South Africa media coverage at the Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa thanks to the International Renewable Energy Agency (Apra).
The moment one steps on a plane flying to another country the one thing that is invaluable is the fresh perspective you get out of travelling.
Also reporting on the event where journalists representing other countries in Africa.
Not only did I get to hear about other African countries energy journey in the energy forum, but the African journalists shared their perceptions and hopes for South Africa as well as problems in their own countries.
With these duel insights it made me happy to live in South Africa especially after the Government of National Unity has raised the prospects of better business and economic confidence in our diverse nation.
This was in contrast to a trip I had prior to elections where South Africa was in the midst of torrid load shedding, which led to one being fed up with the country as many fled to what they believe to be greener pastures.
However, currently, it was a relief once more to be able to hold one’s head up high in a foreign country. There are so many times I have felt truly ashamed to be a South African due to the politics of the day and bad governance of this country.
It was somewhat an eye opener in Kenya arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to see how small it is in comparison to South Africa’s large airports. For some reason I wasn’t expecting that having not travelled by air much in Africa versus Europe.
Also an eye opener was the tension that fills the air and distrust in the current government due to corruption. This recently spilled over in Kenya. The Kenya Finance Bill protests, widely known as #RejectFinanceBill2024, or Gen Z protests, were a series of decentralised mass protests in Kenya against tax increases proposed by the Government of Kenya.
What was worrying how Kenyans told me they expect more protests and this was just the tip of the iceberg.
It was also a bit unnerving how arriving at my hotel, security checked for bombs under the car and all ones luggage has to go through an X-ray baggage scanner, which is apparently the norm.
It reminded me of the tension and fears of rioting we had in South Africa that bubbled over into riots in 2021. That tension seems to have eased somewhat lately as the hope in GNU soothes South African souls. How long it will last is anyone’s guess, but I would not want to be a Kenyan right now with so much uncertainty.
But on a brighter note, talking to African renewable energy expert Wangari Muchiri was truly inspiring. Not only for the work she does, but her insights into South Africa.
In an interview, I had at the sidelines of Apra, Muchiri said, “When I look at South Africa, I see it like a crystal ball of what is going to happen in the rest of the continent. South Africa (wind industry) is 3.5 gigawatts ahead of everybody else so. What does that mean?
“That means that the issues that you're going through now when you talk about grid, curtailment, supply chain, workforce and all the different challenges we're going to be facing these same challenges in Kenya in a few years, in Nigeria in a few years and in Egypt and in Morocco. So how do we start? To learn from the mistakes,” she said.
Other experts spoke how good a job South Africa had done in conducting its Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme and bid windows.
I felt a sense of pride in progress that South Africa had made with renewables. This sterling effort is often downplayed by vested lobbies decrying South Africa’s coal and nuclear ambitions. But the reality remains that South Africa is adding renewables to the grid at a pace that is internationally recognised and should be recognised locally.
Other countries are making it very clear that alongside renewables you have to have significant baseload power.
I was talking to an Ethiopian journalists about Ethiopia’s new mega dam and hydropower push.
He was so positive about how it would boost the country’s economy and how it was vital to its development journey.
The controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a 6450 MW hydropower project nearing completion on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia
Ethiopia is home to 57 million people who live without access to electricity, making it the third largest unserved population in the world, behind only Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo.
The journalist, whom I won’t name, also related how lucky South Africa was to have media freedom and how journalists do not have that privilege in Ethiopia.
He also related how many Ethiopians legally and illegally make the trek to South Africa in search of a better life as our economy is much better and our job prospects brighter.
In 2022, Ethiopia ranked 98 in the Economic Complexity Index (ECI -0.72), and 134 in total exports ($4.24 billion,or R74bn). That same year, South Africa ranked 59 in the Economic Complexity Index (ECI 0.076), and 34 in total exports ($147B).
As a South African I often take our economy and media freedom for granted.
We were having this conversation on a journey to look at state-owned KenGen’s Olkaria geothermal project situated within Hell's Gate National Park 120km from Nairobi.
KenGen is set to invest $48 million for Olkaria VII geothermal power plant, to boost its installed geothermal power capacity to 879.3MW from the current 799MW.
As other African countries race to bolster their capacity to improve their economic prospects, South Africa too needs to makes sure it advances its energy footprint to make sure it can provide enough power for the vast growing population or else face loadshedding again and again.
Discussing how I felt renewed positivity after my Kenyan trip with former Statistics General Pali Lehohla this morning, he reminded me that South Africa has to succeed economically due to its leadership role it plays in Africa.
And how crime and the mafia element needed to be brought under control.
Indeed, in my trip to Kenya, other journalists did ask me about the worrying rise in kidnappings in South Africa.
I was also upset the read about the recent kidnappings in Nairobi.
While these are the negatives, among others, they must not be swept under the table.
South Africa’s economic development effects the continent.South Africa needs to ramp up its development mandate and get things right.
As a South African I was happy to hold my head up high this trip and want to continue to do so. Of course the next big worry is water. This time we need to get it right sooner than the power issue. If we can systematically overcome hurdles, jobs will follow. The clock is ticking.
Philippa Larkin is the executive editor of Business Report.
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