Energy Transition Africa

African woman leading a village energy meeting with solar panels, wind turbine, and clean cookstove nearby.

Who Speaks for the Community? The Missing Link in Africa’s Energy Transition

When Grace, a 47-year-old mother of four in Uganda’s Kasese district, spoke at a local town hall meeting, her voice trembled. But what she said cut through: "We see cables…

Four children playing under solar streetlights in a Goma neighbourhood at dusk with mountains in the background.

Community Impact Energy Transition

In the Shadow of Conflict, Solar Power is Rebuilding Lives in Goma

It is evening in Goma, and the sun has just slipped behind the jagged hills that surround this bustling city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. As darkness falls,…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk July 18, 2025Africa energy, clean energy, community resilience, DRC, energy access, Goma, just transition, mini grids, renewable energy, solar energy

African coal town residents contrast with foreign consultants managing climate funds

Community Impact Energy Transition

Who Truly Benefits from Just Transitions in Africa? The Rising Tide of Elite Extraction

In recent years, Africa has been hailed as a leader in designing just transitions, energy shifts that protect both the planet and people. Among the most ambitious is the Just…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk July 16, 2025Africa, climate finance, coal transition, community inclusion, critical minerals, energy justice, JETP, just transition

African women and children gathered at night under a solar-powered light outside a community centre.

Community Impact Energy Transition

How Solar Mini-Grids Are Transforming Lives in Sub-Saharan Africa’s Conflict Zones

In Sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 600 million people still lack access to electricity. In conflict-affected regions, this problem is compounded by displacement, insecurity, and crumbling infrastructure. Traditional grid extensions are costly,…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk July 9, 2025community resilience, conflict zones, decentralised energy, energy access, mini-grids, solar energy, Sub-Saharan Africa, women empowerment

African women sitting near a railway, observing a mineral freight train passing through their village.

Community Impact Critical Minerals

Beyond the Tracks: What Africa’s Mining Corridors Really Mean for the Communities They Bypass

"The trains pass, but we are still in the dark." That was the quiet but piercing remark of Mariam, a farmer in northern Zambia, whose family was relocated to make…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk July 4, 2025Africa infrastructure, community voices, critical minerals, displacement, energy transition, just transition, land rights, mining corridors

A group of African miners raise their fists in solidarity at a critical mineral site, symbolising unity and resistance.

Community Impact Energy Transition

Not Just Green Jobs: African Miners Say the ‘Just Transition’ Is Failing Them

"If our bodies fuel the transition, then we deserve a seat at the table." That was the message from a miner’s union leader in Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk June 30, 2025Africa mining, community impact, critical minerals, energy transition, green minerals, just transition, labour rights, worker safety

A proud African woman stands confidently in front of a rural solar panel installation, symbolising community-led clean energy solutions.

Community Impact Energy Transition

Voices from the Just Transition: Africa’s Rural Clean Energy Revolution

"We used to deliver babies by candlelight. Now we have light, and we can save more lives." That was the quiet but powerful testimony of Ruth, a midwife in rural…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk June 25, 2025Africa, clean energy, community stories, decentralised energy, energy access, just transition, renewable energy, rural communities, women energy leaders

An expansive industrial mining site in Africa with heavy machinery extracting minerals under a dusty sky.

Community Impact Critical Minerals Energy Transition

Green Minerals, Grey Realities: Can Africa Avoid Another Resource Curse?

Across the plains of Namibia, the copper belt of the DRC, and the lithium fields of Zimbabwe, a quiet race is underway. It’s not a new one, though the names…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk June 20, 2025Africa Mining Vision, AU, beneficiation, cobalt, critical minerals, DRC, green minerals, just transition, lithium, RECs, resource curse, Zimbabwe

A vast solar farm stretching across an arid African landscape with a lone technician inspecting the panels.

Community Impact Energy Transition

Beyond the Buzzwords: Why Africa’s Energy Transition Must Centre People, Not Just Technology

Across conference halls, government roundtables and investor summits, the phrase “energy transition” echoes with growing urgency. Africa is expected to move from energy poverty into a renewable-powered future. Solar mini-grids,…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk June 16, 2025Africa renewables, climate finance, community energy, energy access, energy justice, just transition, women in energy

A middle-aged African miner stands in a muddy open-pit mine, highlighting the environmental and social costs of mining for critical minerals.

Community Impact

Beneath the Surface: How Zambia’s Mining Disaster Exposes the Human Cost of the Energy Transition

On a quiet morning last month, disaster struck in Zambia’s Copperbelt. A tailings dam at a Chinese-owned copper mine burst, releasing toxic sludge into the Kafue River. Communities downstream woke…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk May 27, 2025CopperMining, CriticalMinerals, CriticalMineralsAfrica, EnergyTransitionAfrica, EnvironmentalJustice, EthicalMining, SustainableAfrica, ZambiaMining