This shift will depend on a more deliberate approach to de-risking, which includes guarantees and political risk cover, scaled blended finance platforms, enforceable power purchase agreements and better mobilisation of local capital.
As an illustration of the importance of risk-sharing mechanisms, some projects in African markets incur financing costs which are two to three times higher than equivalent projects in Europe, due to perceived risks.
SM: From your perspective, which African countries are currently leading the way in the transition, and what are they doing right?
ME: Leadership is driven by policy clarity and execution rather than resource endowment alone. We’ ve seen that Morocco has deployed over 4GW of renewable capacity, anchored by the 580MW Noor Ouarzazate complex, and targets 52 % renewables by 2030. South Africa procured over 6.4GW through REIPPPP and has been able to unlock rapid growth in private and corporate renewable procurement.
In terms of the size of projects, Egypt has built some of the continent’ s biggest, including the 1.6GW Benban solar park, while Namibia is positioning itself as a green hydrogen hub. In East Africa, Kenya stands out because nearly half of its electricity is generated from geothermal.
These countries all have long‐term planning, credible institutions, bankable pipelines, and alignment between energy, industrial, and infrastructure strategies in common.
SM: How important will Africa’ s mineral endowment be in shaping its role in the global clean energy value chain?
ME: Africa’ s mineral endowment is central to the global energy transition, with the continent accounting for around 70 % of global cobalt production, roughly 40 – 50 % of manganese reserves and more than 80 % of platinum group metal reserves, alongside significant copper and emerging lithium resources. These minerals are critical in batteries, grids, electrolysers and fuel cells. However, most value today is captured outside the continent.
If Africa can move even partially downstream into refining, precursor materials, and component manufacturing, it could significantly increase economic value, resilience and strategic relevance. Reliable, low‐cost power will be a prerequisite for this shift.
SM: There is increasing discussion around green hydrogen and renewable-powered mining. How realistic are these opportunities in the African context in the short to medium term?
ME: Renewable‐powered mining is already commercially viable in many contexts. Solar and wind are increasingly competitive with diesel for remote mines, and projects exceeding 100MW are already operational or under development across southern and east Africa.
Green hydrogen is an earlier‐stage technology. As of 2024, Africa had less than 25MW of operational electrolysis capacity, but over 40GW of announced projects at the feasibility or concept stage. Countries such as Namibia, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania and South Africa are emerging as potential hubs.
In the short term, hydrogen will be limited to pilots and niche uses. In the medium term, falling electrolyser costs, infrastructure build‐out and anchor offtake, particularly from mining and fertilisers, could drive scale in select locations.
SM: What role should mining companies play in advancing the energy transition, both within their own operations and in the broader energy ecosystem?
ME: Mining companies are uniquely positioned as anchor energy consumers with the ability to deploy on-site and near-site renewables to reduce both emissions and costs, while also providing the longterm offtake needed to underpin project bankability.
Their investment can also support grid and transmission infrastructure that benefits wider communities and helps drive demand for green fuels and low-carbon materials. Given that mining contributes around 8 % of government revenues in many African countries, stronger alignment between mining investment and national energy strategies could materially accelerate the transition, positioning these companies not just as energy users but as system builders.
SM: Looking ahead, what would a successful and inclusive energy transition for Africa look like over the next decade?
ME: Above all, a successful transition would align development, industrialisation and decarbonisation, allowing Africa to grow while shaping a more resilient and diversified global clean energy system.
Specific success outcomes could include expanding electricity access from 50 % currently to 80 %, most of the new generation capacity coming from renewables, and a decrease in power costs for industry and mining. We also need to look at job creation across renewables, grids, minerals and clean fuels, and ultimately, do we have greater resilience to climate shocks? •
www. africanmining. co. za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining • June 2026 • 29