Staff Index: Renewables indicator rises 5% in May

From the newsletter

The Renewables Rising Staff Index climbed by 5% in May. The sector saw the number of advertised jobs increase by at least 12%. Sun King, a solar home system provider, posted 43 new positions across six countries, 30 of which are in Nigeria. This follows their recent raise of $80 million in debt funding for Nigerian market expansion.

• The 10 major renewables companies we track in Africa made 46 new hires in May, a 17% increase from last month. Scatec accounted for half of these. The company has secured major construction deals in Egypt, Botswana, South Africa, and Tunisia.

• While the sector's hiring was dominated by foreign companies, local ones are also expanding. South African energy producer Mulilo Energy hired nine senior staff, pushing its total workforce to 144.

More details

• The sector's total staff across the ten tracked companies increased by only six, reaching 1,600, despite 46 new hires in the last month. This small net gain suggests that a majority of previously employed staff also exited during the same period. The decline in overall numbers could be attributed to project completions or broader efficiency and cost-cutting measures.

• Of the jobs advertised this month, Nigeria accounted for 42, South Africa 32, Kenya 11, and Egypt 11. The remaining positions are distributed across 12 other countries, including Uganda, Ethiopia, Tunisia, and Mozambique. These countries have received funding, with some projects already breaking ground for construction.

• Among the companies with the most jobs listed, Sun King had 43, Engie 21, Schneider Electric 13, and Rubicon 8. Sun King's advertisements were predominantly for Area Business Manager roles in different states, clearly signalling its expansion. Engie's roles were largely for Health, Safety, and Environmental managers.

• Job opportunities in wind energy are far less compared to other technologies, with only two roles advertised, one by Vestas and another by Siemens Gamesa. Wind energy projects have mainly been concentrated in North and South Africa.

• Sales job opportunities have also dwindled with market maturity, as companies are now relying more on referrals. New roles are emerging, such as fraud analysts and software engineers. The digitisation of payment systems for solar home systems and electricity bills will unleash new challenges that will demand new skillsets.

Our take

• The competition for top talent is set to intensify as foreign companies like Scatec undertake major African projects, making it challenging for local companies to retain their best staff.

• Companies should focus on offering additional benefits to attract and retain the best talent. Foreign companies, even those without current operations in Africa, will likely try to poach top professionals.

• Solar's dominance in hiring will continue, driven by significant funding for projects and companies in the sector. However, as battery energy storage integration becomes more common, experts in this new segment will be highly sought after.