South Africa's energy transition: Moving quickly isn't enough

Dr Jessika Bohlmann

Professor Roula Inglesi-Lotz

May marks National Energy Month in South Africa, and discussions around the country’s energy future continue to focus on speed: how quickly can renewable energy be rolled out; how fast can emissions be reduced; how rapidly can new investments unlock growth and jobs?

But perhaps the more important question is not whether South Africa is moving fast enough but whether the country is moving together.

People often talk about energy transitions as technical changes, like swapping one energy source for another, upgrading infrastructure, or adding cleaner technologies. But these changes aren’t just technical. They also affect people, institutions, and communities in different ways and at different times.