South Africa is the 12th largest carbon emitter globally, with 77% of electricity generated from coal. According to the Integrated Resource Plan 2019 by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, the government target to decommission 12 GW of coal-fired capacity by 2030. This accelerates the need for renewable energy integration, creating a growing demand for skilled professionals, particularly within municipalities, to manage grid stability, implement energy policies, and stimulate local economic growth.

Our next guests have launched the second cohort of its Just Energy Transition Skills Development Programme with a group of 30 trainees in Gauteng. This follows the successful pilot in Mpumalanga with a cohort of 32 utility and government officials back in 2022. The programme is in partnership with the Wits Business School and seeks to help operators as well as managers acquire critical skills needed in our evolving energy landscape. The programme also seeks to address grid stability, the integration of intermittent renewable energy sources, and stimulate local economic growth through intentional energy procurement strategies. To tell us more about this initiative and how it can help the public sector, we are joined by…

Guest: Mpho Mookopele - Chief Executive Officer of Energy and Water SETA

Guest:  Bertha Dlamini, President and founder of the African Women in Energy and Power