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Energy Transition

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Extraction: In Somkhele village in Mutabatuba, KwaZulu-Natal, residents had possessed significant productive assets before mining began. They had land, herds and harvests before mining began in the area. Photo: Oupa Nkosi/File

Somkhele families count the R80m cost of coal

A landmark study by researchers from King's College London and UKZN reveals that 115 households near KZN's Somkhele coal mine suffered over R80 million in asset losses, with mine…

In the work: Eskom is planning to install 6.2 million intelligent devices by March 2029, pushing municipalities to prepaid systems. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

Councils cannot keep dodging Eskom bill

With municipal debt to Eskom exceeding R120 billion, sustainable recovery requires treating indebted municipalities as financially distressed, enabling direct interventions and…

Kariba Dam: Both Zambia and Zimbabwe depend on a shared river, interconnected grids and the same regional electricity market. Photo: hydropower.org / Gruner Stucky

One river, two grids: Why Zambia and Zimbabwe need a shared power strategy

Despite operating separate power systems, Zambia and Zimbabwe share the Zambezi River. With expanding mining and industrial sectors, both nations urgently need a joint investment…

The Best AI System Is Not the One That Never Fails. It Is the One That Knows How to Lose Authority

Drawing lessons from South Africa's power recovery and AI policy withdrawal, this analysis explores why resilient organisations must master 'Authority Degradation' to safely dial…

Power: The proposed hydroelectric power stations at the site of the Inga Falls is likely to create the largest power station in the world. Photo: Supplied

The Inga Dam project could be Africa's game changer

The DRC's Grand Inga hydropower project holds the potential to generate 43,200MW and transform energy access across Africa, but overcoming decades of bureaucratic hurdles and…

Execution in the face of complexity will decide South Africa’s energy transition.

As South Africa faces coal decommissioning and an urgent need for grid capacity, lessons from SOLA's multi-buyer Project Springbok show how embracing complex commercial models…

Toxic plume: The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air estimates that the pollution from Sasol's plant resulted in about 23 800 years of life lost a year. Photo: Supplied

Deadly cost of Sasol's Secunda pollution

A study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air reveals that emissions from Sasol's Secunda coal-to-liquids complex contribute to an estimated 1,000 deaths and R19…

Bigger picture: Investors, developers and financiers will attend the Africa Property Investment Summit in Cape Town to discuss The Broll Africa Real Estate Intelligence Report 2026 next month. Photo: Unsplash

Forget countries; follow the corridors

A new report by Broll Property Group reveals that African real estate investment is shifting away from traditional geographic boundaries toward interconnected investment…

why-it-doesnt-make-sense-that-all-informal-mining-is-deemed-illegal. Image: Supplied

Critical minerals new game-changer for DRC economic growth

The Democratic Republic of Congo's vast mineral wealth, including cobalt and copper, is transforming its economy and making it a pivotal player in the global energy transition.…

Africa, said demand for metals such as cobalt, copper, nickel, graphite vanadium and platinum group metals

Talks delay Tanzania's Kabanga nickel investment decision to 2027

Negotiations between the Tanzanian government and Lifezone Metals have prolonged the Final Investment Decision for the Kabanga Nickel Project, now expected in Q1 2027. This…

A second life for mine waste

A groundbreaking solar photovoltaic (PV) project at Kumba Iron Ore’s Sishen mine in the Northern Cape is transforming a rehabilitated waste rock dump into a renewable energy…

More than 160,000 Deye residential batteries installed across South Africa could be coordinated through a VPP, unlocking around 2.7GWh of distributed battery storage to help support the national grid. Graphic: Deye

Transforming South Africa’s power grid, virtually

As South Africans invest billions in rooftop solar and batteries, Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) offer a way to connect these distributed energy resources into a single, flexible…

Thungela’s proposed Waterberg gas project sparks concerns over water, climate

Thungela Resources' plans for a large-scale coal bed methane project in Limpopo's Waterberg are facing scrutiny over potential impacts on water security and South Africa’s…

Beyond the build: Green jobs in SA’s renewables industry

South Africa's green economy promises millions of jobs by 2050, driven by renewable energy projects. However, an investigation reveals that while construction phases generate…

Bright future: Wind energy projects in Mpumalanga have the advantage of using existing infrastructure from coal plants. Photo: GKR Falcon / Flickr

1.5 trillion reasons to back SA's youth in the Just Energy Transition

South Africa's Just Energy Transition is poised to be one of the nation's largest investment opportunities, estimated at R1.5 trillion. However, the focus has largely been on…