Experts Push for African-Centered Energy Strategy Amid Transition Debate

Sun City, North West – Energy experts have stressed the need for Africa to chart its own path in diversifying energy sources, warning against over-reliance on Western-driven models of transition.

Speaking at the Continental Energy and Infrastructure Investment Forum in Sun City, Stratek Global Advanced Solutions Chairperson, Dr. Kevin Kemm, highlighted the role nuclear energy has played in broadening Africa’s energy mix. However, he emphasized that fossil fuels such as gas, coal, and oil will remain central to powering industries on the continent.

“We’ve got to look from Africa with African eyes at what works for us,” Kemm said. “You’re not going to run an oil refinery or mines on solar and wind. We need to adopt a long-term vision, just like when South Africa invested in big coal-fired power stations in the past. That was never a six-month project it required a six-year vision, and that kind of planning must start now.”

Delegates from South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Zambia, and Angola gathered at the forum to discuss the continent’s energy future. The discussions took place as renewable sources such as solar and wind gain momentum in South Africa’s push to combat climate change.

Adding to the debate, Coaltech South Africa CEO, Avhurengwi Nengovhela, made a strong case for coal in Africa’s Just Energy Transition. He argued that the continent should leverage its abundant coal reserves rather than rely on foreign loans tied to Western climate agendas.

“As Africans, we are endowed with coal resources and we know how to mine it—we’ve been doing it for 140 years,” Nengovhela said. “Why should we expose over a million people to the risks of the Just Energy Transition just to borrow a $12 million loan from the West? We have the resources, we have the know-how. It’s time we get serious as a continent and use what we have.”

The forum underscored the tension between global calls for cleaner energy and Africa’s pressing need for reliable, large-scale power generation to drive industrialization and economic growth.