African countries race to build renewables workforce

From the newsletter

The energy transition in Africa is moving faster than anticipated, and with it come challenges. Workers in the fossil-fuel sector will need re-skilling, while the renewables industry requires a pipeline of skilled talent. Few countries are preparing for this shift. South Africa became one last week by launching a Just Energy Transition Skills Desk to ready its workforce.

• This comes at a time when experts project the renewable energy sector’s workforce to grow tenfold by 2030. Yet the sector is struggling to access talent in emerging fields such as battery storage and grid integration

• Projects are scaling up fast, moving from megawatts to gigawatts. Egypt is leading in mega projects, while South Africa and other major African economies are following suit.

More details

• The Just Energy Transition (JET) Skills Desk will be housed within South Africa’s Department of Higher Education and Training and will serve as the operational hub for the country’s workforce transition. It will focus on reskilling and upskilling adult workers, reforming curricula, and aligning training with labour market demand. The Desk’s scope extends beyond power generation to include emerging sectors such as green hydrogen and new energy vehicles. 

• Across Africa, fossil fuels still generate about 75% of electricity, and oil and gas alone employ at least 1.6 million people. Both oil producers and major energy consumers are vulnerable as the transition accelerates. With unemployment already as high as 35% in countries like South Africa, no country can afford to see more people sidelined due to a lack of relevant skills. South Africa’s state utility Eskom, which employs over 40,000 workers, shows how big the risk is.

• While no African country has yet launched a comprehensive program to reskill fossil fuel workers, some have begun addressing the need for renewable energy skills through universities and technical training colleges. Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana, for example, have embedded renewable energy courses into their curricula. Yet these efforts remain focused on preparing new entrants rather than retraining workers from old fuel sectors.

• Meanwhile, Africa’s energy mix is already shifting. The continent now imports at least 12 GW of solar panels from China annually. This surge is accelerating the retirement of thermal power plants and reducing reliance on petrol generators as consumers adopt solar alternatives. The ripple effects are being felt across the entire energy supply chain.

• Skilling Africa’s young population will be critical as the continent hosts the world’s largest youth population, and their productivity will depend on mastering new technologies. Africa is already taking small steps in solar, electric vehicles, and battery manufacturing. But to truly benefit, this young and innovative population must be equipped with the right skills. Without deliberate planning, the same demographic strength could become a liability.

• Closing the financing gap for skills development is critical. While billions are flowing into renewable projects, very little is earmarked for workforce transition. Development banks and climate funds have largely focused on infrastructure, often neglecting the human capital needed to operate and sustain it. For the sector to succeed, funding models must invest not only in hardware but also in people.

Our take

• Africa should consider a joint framework for energy transition skills, setting standards for training in areas like grid integration, battery storage, and green hydrogen. This would avoid fragmented efforts and help labour move more fluidly across borders.

• Embedding renewable energy courses in universities and TVETs is not enough. Partnerships with the private sector are needed so that training aligns with real labour market demand.

• Demand for renewable energy technologies is already booming, and Africa is beginning to take small steps in manufacturing. The next priority is ensuring that partnerships with Chinese manufacturers translate into transferable skills, building local capacity for the future.