Power in Africa is not only an issue of infrastructure, but also an economic issue because industry requires reliable, affordable and sustainable energy.
Industrial competitiveness is impossible without energy security, but renewable energy is an industry that presents an industrial development opportunity for Africa.
Understanding and aggregating industrial demand could attract investments into energy systems while simultaneously creating markets for local manufacturers and suppliers, said international agency United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) Energy Efficiency for Sustainable Livelihoods in Africa programme manager Karin Reiss-Haimbala.
Africa had an opportunity not simply to move from exporting raw materials to manufacturing, but to move from being a supplier of commodities to becoming an active participant in global and regional supply and value chains, she said during the first day of the Manufacturing Indaba on July 14.
The global energy transition presents a unique opportunity for Africa to industrialise because it has abundant renewable resources, there is growing demand for clean energy technologies and the critical minerals required for the transition are present on the continent.
