Business

How will African countries turn nuclear energy ambition into delivery – and who pays for it? These are the topics addressed at the Nuclear in Africa side event at Enlit Africa in May 2026. Government leaders, utilities, regulators and financiers from South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Ghana, Türkiye and France set out a shared conclusion to …

Decades of technological process and falling manufacturing costs are turning the economics of electricity around. At the same time, a decade of private operators testing out new financial models has proven the viability of distributed renewable energy on the ground in Sub-Sahara Africa. Why then, does electricity access still continue to lag behind in Sub-Sahara …

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are moving beyond R&D to become first-of-a-kind (FOAK) market-ready infrastructure. [embedded content] Sengiphile Simelane, Group Executive: Power and Industry Division at NECSA, shares insights into the role of modular nuclear reactors in addressing Africa’s growing energy needs. The Nuclear Energy Agency’s (NEA) Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Dashboard: Third Edition, which tracks progress through February 2025, …

For years, Africa’s nuclear conversation has skirted the idea of whether to include nuclear in the mix, but we should be asking what it costs to keep ignoring nuclear power. The instinct is to weigh nuclear against renewables on cost-per-megawatt and carbon intensity, as though generation were the only variable that mattered. This view is …

As South Africa faces increasing water scarcity, ageing infrastructure and rising demand, water reuse is rapidly becoming one of the country’s most important opportunities to strengthen long-term water security. [embedded content] Maskam Water CEO Gerhard Cronje explains how decentralised water and wastewater solutions are helping communities respond to rapid urbanisation, population growth and changing regulatory …

So far in 2026, IPPs have accounted for 100% of new generation capacity and looking at the current build pipeline, the private sector demand will have a strong influence on what power projects get built going forward. A Power Futures Lab briefing note on South African IPPs shows a very large number of IPPs entering …

Global manganese ore prices eased somewhat in 2025, after a period of price volatility in 2024 thanks to major supply disruptions. Now in 2026, the prices are going up again, influenced by the increase in oil prices. Conflict in the Middle East has influenced costs across the mining sector, and manganese producers especially are feeling …

Keith Katyora, Senior Manager: Grid Expansion & Energy Systems at the Energy Council of South Africa explores the transmission and market challenges shaping Africa’s energy future. The Energy Council of South Africa is a CEO initiative that brings together public and private sector companies, relevant associations, local development finance institutions, all of the stakeholders that …

Namibia is demonstrating what is possible in Africa’s energy transition with the continent’s first fully integrated green hydrogen facility. The CMB.TECH Namibia facility in Walvis Bay brings together solar power generation, green hydrogen production, and energy storage in a single operational ecosystem, demonstrating how clean energy can be produced at industrial scale while supporting industrial …

Lithium demand globally of 275kt in 2025 represented a 23% year-on-year growth, well above that seen in other commodity markets. “The expansion reflects the continued acceleration of electrification. Demand from EVs rose by 20% to 170kt, while demand from battery storage reached 30kt,” said the IEA in their Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2026. [embedded content] …

Azwimbavhi Mamanyuha, Eskom General Manager: New Business Engineering, Innovation and Localisation, shares how collaboration, technical expertise and knowledge exchange are helping South Africa strengthen grid stability. He explains how South Africa is fortunate enough to have engineers who are well-versed in grid stability techniques. “We know that by sharing that with other people, we benchmark …

Leigh Waters-Maine shares her insights on the importance of diversity, networking and industry partnerships in advancing sustainable wastewater treatment solutions. Co-founder and CEO of Phoka M Holdings, a sustainable infrastructure and clean technology company recognised for developing a chemical-free wastewater treatment system, Waters-Maine makes the case for women to be included in the clean technology …

The price of copper surged to record highs in 2026, exceeding $14,000 per tonne in May. The global demand for the refined metal reached almost 28Mt in 2025, an increase of 3.7% from 2024 say the IEA in their Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2026. [embedded content] This webinar brings together industry leaders, technical experts and …

Nigeria’s oil and gas sector is a resource giant that perpetually promises more than it delivers. It is weighed down by fiscal uncertainty, regulatory drag, and international operators who have redirected capital elsewhere, while the country’s reserves sit undeveloped. However, 2026 appears to be the year to revise this assessment; at least on the hydrocarbons …

As important as water and sanitation may be to humans, the infrastructure remains seriously underfunded. Read More at ESI Africa

Recently, geopolitical events have reminded us how strongly global economics depend on secure and resilient mineral supply chains Read More at ESI Africa

By Adedolapo Oluyomi Akinde Read More at ESI Africa

Discover the topics mapped out in 2025 that the sector is still building out today Read More at ESI Africa

The SANEA 2026 Symposium takes place 9 to 10 September in Johannesburg Read More at ESI Africa

Interconnected power grids is key to improving energy security in the region Read More at ESI Africa

Discover which topics trended in 2024 that, two years on, are still relevant Read More at ESI Africa

Infrastructure South Africa is coordinating a massive national infrastructure build programme Read More at ESI Africa

Will ATLAS shape shipping routes and introduce climate-friendly vessels or bring new threats to our oceans? Read More at ESI Africa

Protecting critical electricity lines requires more than physical security Read More at ESI Africa