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 the continent’s nuclear aspirations during the Nuclear in Africa sessions. The panellists agreed that execution depends as much on institutions, governance and financing structures as on reactor technology itself.
Realistic packages blend local and international commercial banks, sovereign funds, government participation and state-owned enterprises.
Fabienne Pehuet Lucet
Opening the Nuclear in Africa event, Deputy Director General Zizamele Mbambo of South Africa’s Department of Electricity and Energy (DEE) argued that the continent has reached an inflexion point.
“The real question before us today is how do we move decisively, responsibly and collaboratively from ambition to implementation across Africa,” he said, positioning nuclear as part of a balanced energy mix supporting baseload power, industrialisation and decarbonisation.
He added a warning: “Nuclear must be treated as long-term industrial infrastructure, not a slogan.”
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That framing set the tone for the country presentations from South Africa, Egypt and Kenya on where their programmes stand, followed by a financing session examining what it will take to get projects built and paid for.
Institutions before investment
Credibility is built before capital arrives, steered one conversation. Onur Koray Yenigürbüz of the Nuclear Industry Association of Türkiye shared that independent regulators need proven licensing capability and inspection experience before investors gain confidence, alongside clear legislation on waste and liability.
Tools such as the IAEA’s Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review, he said, give investors independent evidence of a country’s readiness.
We are going to build it, or we are going to die trying to build it.
NuPEA chairman Professor Lawrence Gumbe
Egypt’s El Dabaa project, presented by Rosatom South Africa CEO Ryan Collyer, illustrates the point in practice. While the four-unit, 4.8GW plant is under construction, Collyer stressed that Egypt first invested heavily in governance – including a clear separation between owner, operator and regulator – before breaking ground, strengthening both delivery and public confidence.
South Africa’s own experience reinforces the lesson. Eskom’s General Manager for Nuclear Build, Lukhanyo Ndube, described the country’s… [please fill in the form to continue reading.]
