The Africa Energy Efficiency Facility (AfEEF) – a legacy project of South Africa’s G20 presidency – aims to mobilise USD3 billion over the next few years to combat energy inefficiencies across the continent.
The Africa Energy Efficiency Facility is intended to raise the level of focus and improve energy efficiency across Africa.
Speaking at the launch of the legacy AfEEF in Durban, held ahead of the G20 Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) meetings, South Africa’s Deputy Minister for Electricity and Energy, Samantha Graham-Maré noted that energy inefficiencies in Africa have reached levels of up to 60% in some areas. This leaves millions of people completely without access to electricity and without clean cooking solutions.
“The Africa Energy Efficiency Facility is a response to this urgent need. AfEEF is envisaged to serve as a continental platform to: mobilise finance at scale, with a target of USD 3 billion by 2030; support member states to harmonise energy efficiency policies and regulations; build technical capacity across our regions and institutions; and promote digitalisation and innovation through systems such as energy management and appliance databases.
“Energy Efficiency is our ‘first fuel’. It is the fastest, cheapest, and most sustainable way to close the gap between energy demand and supply. It is not simply about saving energy, it is about creating opportunities for growth, jobs, and better lives for all,” she said.
Graham-Maré said the AfEEF has the potential to:
- Improve efficiency by at least 12% by 2030
- Create some 1 million ‘green’ jobs by 2040
- Avoid the need for up to 40 gigawatts of new generation capacity, saving billions in investment
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 300 million tonnes of CO₂.
She emphasised that energy inefficiency is not just a technical problem but a human rights problem. “It affects the health of children, the productivity of industries, the education of youth, and the dignity of households.
“Without addressing these inefficiencies, we cannot hope to unlock Africa’s full potential,” the deputy minister said.
Building partnerships
The AfEEF is a collaborative initiative between the department, the African Union Commission through the African Energy Commission (AFREC), and the United Nations Environment Programme. The foundations of the initiative were laid at the second and third ETWG meetings held in the Western Cape and North West earlier this year. The programme is aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the African Energy Efficiency Strategy and responds directly to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 13, focusing on energy access and climate action.
Graham-Maré said: “The value of the AfEEF lies in its symbolising Africa’s unity and resolve. It signals to our citizens, our partners, and the world, that Africa is ready to take charge of its energy future and that we are prepared to act together, decisively and ambitiously.
“But … a facility is only as strong as the partnerships that sustain it. I therefore call upon our AU Member States, to embrace the Africa Energy Efficiency Facility and integrate its objectives into national strategies. I call upon our development partners and financial institutions, to walk with us, to invest, and to share knowledge. And I call upon private sector actors, to seize the opportunities in building markets, delivering technologies, and creating jobs; and civil society and academia, to help ensure accountability, inclusivity, and innovation.
“Together, united behind the AfEEF, we can light up homes, power industries, and give our children a cleaner, safer, more prosperous Africa,” Graham-Maré said.
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