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Spotlight
SOUTH AFRICA

How will South Africa spend $8.5bn pledged by West to wean it off coal?

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“Southern Africa: the tough path towards quitting coal”
SOUTHERN AFRICA

Southern Africa: the tough path towards quitting coal

The whole region of southern Africa, and especially South Africa, remains extremely dependent on coal mines, despite protests from environmentalists and pressure from the West in the form of billion-dollar subsidised plans to speed up the coal phase-out. The weighty state-owned Eskom, which has been embroiled in deep crisis for years, is making a tentative attempt to diversify. However, in a country where the sector's unions enjoy unparalleled influence within the state apparatus this is a daunting task. Neighbouring states are attune to this fact and are launching new projects to supply the regional giant's power plants. [...]
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaking remotely during COP26 on November 4, 2021.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaking remotely during COP26 on November 4, 2021. © South African Government/Twitter
South Africa has been promised massive funding to reduce and then eliminate its dependence on coal. But there are doubts about how exactly the money will be spent. [...] (366 words)
Issue dated 16/11/2021 Reading time 2 minutes
Energy Politics

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Further reading
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (right) and his Minister of Mining and Energy, Gwede Mantashe. © Gianluigi Guercia/AFP
In Focus
SOUTH AFRICA Energy Politics 27/06/2022

Eskom's fate caught up in the clash between Ramaphosa and Mantashe 

South Africa's head of state supports the development of renewable energy, yet the energy minister opposes it and is promoting the benefits of coal. Caught in the crossfire of this political struggle is Eskom's CEO, Andre de Ruyter, who has come up with a recovery plan to save the ailing company. [...]
Gwede Mantashe, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy. © Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters
Inner circles
SOUTH AFRICA Energy Politics 24/12/2021

Mantashe weaponises energy regulator NERSA to rebuff Eskom and champion Karpowership 

Since he took over as mineral resources and energy minister in February 2018, Gwede Mantashe has strengthened his hold over the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA). His authority over the body's directors has enabled him to pursue an ongoing vendetta with Eskom, press the case for retaining Turkish private sector energy supplier Karpowership and back nuclear power development. [...]
The Rössing uranium mine in Namibia. © jbdodane/Alamy banque d'images
In Focus
AFRICA Mining 13/12/2021

Botswana and Tanzania lead African charge to cash in on growing uranium fever 

Germany may be phasing out nuclear power but demand for uranium in the rest of Europe and Asia is set to increase, as industrialised nations scramble for sources of decarbonised electricity. In Africa, countries such as Tanzania and Botswana are trying to take advantage of the trend to get their uranium production off the ground and join Namibia and Niger in the select group of African countries that produce yelllowcake. [...]

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