South Africa's energy future and strategic partnerships in the G20: Exclusive from Minister Kgosientso Ramokgopa

Dr. Kgosientso Ramokgopa, currently serving as South Africa's Minister of Electricity and Energy, sat down for an interview with the press and other essential stakeholders, where he laid down the energy problems the nation faces and how it plans to tackle them even as they prepare to head the G20 summit.

He highlighted the country's efforts in preserving affordability, sustainability and energy security, while also tackling the issues that arise from load shedding and the general energy transition within the country.

Dr. Kgosientso Ramokgopa, South Africa's Minister of Electricity and Energy, is interviewed by People's Daily Online. (People's Daily Online/Liu Chang)

The minister underlined the fact that South Africa joining the G20 is indicative of Africa's efforts as a whole as opposed to just that of South Africa.

"We strive to ensure that special opportunities and challenges across Africa are used in order to bring the continent's energy focus to the world stage," he said.

Ramokgopa went on to state the need for more resources to be incorporated into the economy as there are around 680 million people in the world today who lack access to electricity, 600 million of which reside in Africa. "We cannot allow the world to continue promoting this type of inequality," Ramokgopa said. To this end he stated, "Effective solutions come from genuine partnerships with the world's major economies."

Obtaining finance for renewable energy is perhaps the biggest hurdle, which makes securing investment for it incredibly important.

"We estimate it will cost no less than R1.4 trillion ($76.35 billion) just to modernize and expand the existing energy system's grid," he stated, "Moderating and expanding our energy grid will require investment from developed countries," insisting that richer nations should provide aid that helps Africa's developmental goals.

The funding of renewable energy remains an important task as changing to more sustainable energy sources is costly.

Moreover, Ramokgopa advocated for the formation of an African energy super grid and proposed a system in which countries could harness resources effectively.

"Imagine a scenario where during a shortage South Africa can utilize Angola's surplus, while we supply energy to drought affected regions like Namibia. This is the kind of future we need to create," he asserted.

When he answered the questions from the reporter of People's Daily Online SA, Ramokgopa stressed further emerging collaboration between South Africa and China, one of the strongest players in the global energy industry. The agreements reached at the conference regarding BRICS have enabled new developments in nuclear energy to be possible, with some already in the works.

South Africa and the Chinese State Grid Corporation, an energy sector giant, are also working together to modernize power systems and strengthen the electricity transmission network. Leading Chinese companies, such as Huawei, are also heavily investing into microgrids and are active in South Africa's initatives for renewable energy, introducing modern funding and technology to the market.

"They are producing concrete results, not just discussions," Ramokgopa explained. "The cooperation with China affords us valuable investment and technical skills."

Through innovatively blended funds, strategic partnerships and plans to form an African energy market, South Africa is positioning itself as a major player in determining the contours of the global energy industry.

"This is an opportunity to transform not just our nation, but the rest of Africa," Ramokgopa argued.