Africa’s Green Industrial Future: Clean Energy as the Engine of Re-industrialisation

Africa’s renewable energy potential stands as a defining opportunity to reshape the continent’s economic and industrial landscape. Speaking at a side event of the G20 4th Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) meetings, Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy Samantha Graham-Maré emphasised that the continent’s vast solar, wind, and mineral wealth, combined with its dynamic youth, positions Africa at the forefront of a sustainable industrial revolution.

“For Africa, this is the defining challenge and the defining opportunity of our century,” she declared. “Our continent holds 60% of the world’s best solar resources, immense wind potential, and many of the critical minerals that underpin the global clean energy economy. But our greatest asset is our people—young, innovative, and ready to build.”

This intersection of abundant natural wealth and human capital, she said, gives Africa a unique chance to leapfrog into a new era of re-industrialisation, where renewable energy powers the creation of green industries and value chains.

From Resources to Economic Engines

Deputy Minister Graham-Maré outlined a vision for transforming Africa’s natural resources into engines of inclusive economic growth. “It means using our solar and wind energy to manufacture green steel, electric mobility components, hydrogen derivatives and the very equipment needed for the energy transition itself,” she explained.

She stressed that this transformation must be inclusive and socially grounded, creating dignified employment opportunities for youth, supporting small businesses, and ensuring communities directly benefit from the transition.

Showcasing Local Models: Atlantis and Coega

Graham-Maré pointed to two South African examples already embodying this transformation — the Atlantis Special Economic Zone (SEZ) near Cape Town and the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) in the Eastern Cape.

The Atlantis SEZ is emerging as a hub for renewable energy component manufacturing, while Coega is positioning itself as a hydrogen export hub. Together, they exemplify how energy, industry, research, and community integration can generate regional growth.

“These hubs represent more than clusters of factories. They are ecosystems of innovation,” she said. “When done right, they transform regional economies by aligning industrial, energy, and social policies.”

Building the Foundations: Policy, Finance, and Partnerships

Despite early progress, Graham-Maré acknowledged that Africa remains in the initial stages of this green transformation. Scaling up will require coordinated investment, coherent policy frameworks, and strong public-private partnerships.

“Building green industrialisation hubs is not something any single sector can do alone,” she said. “It starts with policy coherence — aligning industrial, energy, and trade policies so that clean energy doesn’t just power homes, it powers factories.”

The Deputy Minister identified technology co-development, de-risking investment capital, and partnerships as key drivers of Africa’s renewable industrialisation journey.

The G20’s Role in Africa’s Green Transition

Graham-Maré called on G20 economies to recognise Africa’s industrial transformation as central, not peripheral, to the global energy transition. “True G20 leadership means viewing Africa not as a recipient of technology, but as a partner,” she asserted.

She urged the establishment of predictable climate finance frameworks, open and fair trade for low-carbon goods, and co-investment platforms to help Africa build a sustainable and competitive green economy.

As part of South Africa’s G20 Presidency, the government aims to create platforms for collaboration that connect clean energy, manufacturing, and innovation, thereby amplifying the strengths of each sector.

“These efforts form part of a broader movement to build capacity, share data, and accelerate sustainable industrialisation across the Global South,” she added.

A Just Transition: Leaving No One Behind

Recognising the social dimensions of energy transition, Graham-Maré emphasised that South Africa’s path will be inclusive and just, ensuring that communities reliant on coal-based industries are not left behind.

“We will bring them with us,” she said. “We will turn former coal regions into new green industrial hubs, providing workers with new opportunities for the future.”

The Deputy Minister reaffirmed that Africa’s green industrialisation will be built with its own energy, ideas, and partnerships. “If we get this right, Africa will not only power its own development, it will help power the world’s transition to sustainability.”

Towards a Sustainable and Dignified Future

In her closing remarks, Graham-Maré underlined that the continent’s industrial and energy future must be one of dignity, opportunity, and agency. “Africa’s green industrialisation will not be a distant aspiration,” she concluded. “It will be a living reality—African in origin, global in impact, and sustainable by design.”