South Africa to Support Jobs in Coal Regions Amid Energy Transition

AFRICAN BUSINESS AND ECONOMYOctober 25, 2024 at 12:01 PM UTC

TLDR

South Africa launches Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) Funding Platform to support job creation and economic diversification in coal-dependent regions like Mpumalanga.
$9.3 billion sourced from global climate finance pact with US, Germany, France, and UK to aid in transitioning away from coal and addressing unemployment challenges.
Transition towards renewable energy poses a challenge as it requires less labor, impacting the coal job market in South Africa.

South Africa unveiled its Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) Funding Platform to support job creation and economic diversification in regions heavily dependent on coal, notably Mpumalanga.

This initiative aims to leverage $9.3 billion from a climate finance pact with leading economies, including the US, Germany, France, and the UK, to address concerns about the transition away from coal.

With unemployment at 33.5%, South Africa faces the complex task of replacing coal jobs, especially as renewable energy projects require less labor.

You can follow Daba’s reporting on Africa on WhatsApp. Sign up here

Key Takeaways

Aimed at easing coal communities’ concerns, the JETP will fund local projects in renewable energy, tourism, and agriculture. The initial goal is to finance 20 projects worth 600 million rand ($34 million) in its first year, scaling to 50 projects worth 1.5 billion rand the following year. The plan’s success is seen as critical, as similar agreements are in progress for coal-reliant nations like Indonesia and Vietnam.

South Africa

Energy Transition

Coal Power

Climate Change

Sustainability

Energy