Energy Transition Africa

African city with diesel generator and flickering lightbulb in foreground, solar panels and sunrise in background — symbolising outdated zombie energy systems blocking renewable transition.

Africa’s Zombie Energy Systems: The Hidden Barrier Stalling a Just Transition

The paradox of darkness in the age of sunlight On a humid evening in Lagos, a shopkeeper wheels out a diesel generator, its rattle and fumes filling the street as…

African woman cooking on a traditional three-stone fire with smoke rising, representing energy poverty and the need for clean cooking solutions in rural Africa.

Energy Transition Uncategorized

Who Bears the Burden? Gender and the Energy Transition in Africa

Grace, a mother of four in rural Zambia, wakes before dawn to trek miles for firewood. She balances heavy bundles on her head, prepares meals over a smoky three-stone fire.…

Vincent Egoro August 18, 2025Africa, Energy Poverty in Africa, Gender and Energy Transition in Africa, Gender and Just Energy Transition, just transition, Value Addition of Critical Minerals in SADC, Women and Clean Energy Access

African civil society representative at a negotiation table with climate adaptation maps and debt documents, symbolising Africa’s struggle between fiscal obligations and climate action.

Energy Transition

Debt-for-Climate Swaps: Lifeline or Leash for Africa’s Green Future?

Everybody frames swaps as innovation. But who controls the script, and who ends up on the cutting room floor? Debt-for-climate swaps are enjoying a moment. Policymakers and international institutions are…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk July 25, 2025Africa, Civil Society, climate finance, climate justice, debt swaps, donor influence, global south, green transition, multilateral banks, sovereign debt

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 farmers using solar-powered irrigation systems in a rural setting to water crops.

Energy Transition

Africa’s $5 Trillion Renewable Energy Shift: Will Sub-Saharan Communities Reap the Rewards?

When Power Shift Africa released its recent report estimating that Africa could save as much as $5 trillion by transitioning fully to renewable energy by 2050, the headlines wrote themselves.…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk July 7, 2025climate justice, community benefits, energy transition, green jobs, renewable energy, rural development, Sub-Saharan Africa

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

Energy Transition

Striking the Balance: Energy Security Meets Just Transition in Africa

It’s a dilemma as old as independence: how can Africa power its future without repeating the past? In 2025, the question is sharper than ever. The continent is home to…

Energy Transition Africa Editorial Desk June 27, 2025Africa energy, climate justice, development, energy poverty, energy security, Energy transition Africa, fossil fuels, just transition, renewable energy

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