At a time when governments and investors are focused on industrial growth, grid expansion, energy security and regional competitiveness, South Africa remains one of the continent’s most closely watched energy markets – from electricity reform and generation capacity to infrastructure delivery, battery storage, nuclear energy and industrial innovation.
aef 2026 will take place from 16 to 19 June at the CTICC in Cape Town.
The Africa Energy Forum (aef) 2026, to be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 16 to 19 June, welcomes a strong South African public sector delegation, bringing together ministers, regulators, utilities and state agencies.
Leading the South African delegation, Minister of Electricity and Energy Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa will host the forum's key conversations and steer the continent-wide industrialisation and production hub discussions at the Ministerial Town Hall and the Closed Door South Africa Industrialisation Roundtable.
Deputy Minister, Samantha Graham-Maré, will contribute to the discussions held during the fireside chats. She will also join Dan Marokane, GCE of Eskom, and others, in the opening session to explore investment, partnerships, and opportunities in South Africa.
The South African public sector is strongly represented across the agenda. Thembani Bukula, Chairperson of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA), will offer insights into offtake structures as well as captive and embedded power solutions; Precious Edward, Head of the IPP Office, will contribute to discussions on BESS; and Shaakira Karolia, Ministerial Advisor, Department of Electricity and Energy, will provide an expert perspective on the country’s TDP and ITP through the focused panel sessions.
Additional confirmed speakers from the South African public sector include:
- Tertius Simmers, Provincial Minister of Infrastructure, Western Cape Government
- Jacob Mbele, Director General, Department of Mineral & Petroleum Resources
- Tshepo Mokoka, Acting CEO of the Central Energy Func (CEF)
- Loyiso Tyabashe, Group CEO of the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (NECSA)
- Prathaban Moodley, Acting CEO of the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI)
- Nomfundo Maseti, Full Time Regulator Member: Piped Gas Regulation, National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA)
- Willibrod Majola, Full Time Regulator Member: Electricity, National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA)
- Titus Mathe, CEO, Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), South Africa (formerly CEO of SANEDI).
As governments, utilities and investors focus increasingly on industrial growth, energy security and infrastructure delivery, South Africa’s presence at aef 2026 reflects the country’s central role in Africa's energy and industrial landscape.
Africa’s transmission sector in focus
More widely, Africa’s transmission sector, now seen to be entering a new phase, will be in focus.
Projects once viewed as too complex or too dependent on public funding are moving into execution – with private capital increasingly entering the grid.
In Uganda, the Amari Power Transmission Project recently became the first Independent Transmission Project (ITP) in Africa to reach financial close. Developed by Gridworks alongside the Government of Uganda and UETCL, with Siemens Energy as the EPC contractor, the project is being closely watched as a test case for whether private transmission models can scale across the continent.
At the same time, Kenya is advancing major transmission public-private partnerships (PPPs) through KETRACO, Africa50 and Power Grid Corporation of India, including the 400 kV Lessos-Loosuk and 220 kV Kibos-Kakamega-Musaga lines, signalling a wider shift towards commercially structured transmission infrastructure.
Gridworks is also progressing two private transmission projects in Ethiopia worth a combined US$400 million.
As governments accelerate industrialisation strategies, transmission is increasingly becoming the critical infrastructure challenge. In South Africa, NTCSA’s Transmission Development Plan aims to deliver 14 500 km of new transmission infrastructure over the next decade as the country looks to unlock renewable capacity, strengthen grid resilience and support long-term industrial growth.
At aef 2026, senior leaders from across the public and private sectors will debate what comes next for transmission investment, open access and regional power.
Confirmed speakers contributing to the session on Large scale transmission and distribution projects include:
- Mothapelo Malao, Investment Director, Impact Fund, Denmark
- Shaakira Karolia, Ministerial Advisor, Department of Electricity and Energy, South Africa
- Kefa Seda, Director-General, Public Private Partnership Directorate, National Treasury and Economic Planning, Kenya
- Chris Flavin, CEO of Gridworks
- Nabil Saïimi, Senior Director, Africa50 Group
- Gilbert El-Hajje, Head of Market & Strategy, Middle East & Africa, Siemens Energy.
Chris Flavin of Gridworks said of the Amari Power Transmission Project: “Amari, a US$50-million project upgrading four high-voltage substations in Uganda, reaching financial close marks a turning point for transmission in Africa – showing that complex grid infrastructure can be structured, financed and delivered with private capital."
Other speakers from across public and private sectors that will address the transmission shift include:
- Precious Edward, Head of South Africa’s IPP Office
- Moshood Abolade, Investment Director, Africa50 Group
- Mpho Mokwele, Group Executive, Coverage & origination, DBSA
- Peter Venn, CEO, Seriti Green
- Dershin Govender, Energy OE & PMC, Lead Africa, Arup
- James Cumming, CEO, Anthem
- Asanda Tshambula, Business Development Manager, Infrastructure SBU, IDC.
As Africa’s industrial ambitions accelerate, transmission is fast becoming one of the continent’s most important infrastructure investment sectors.
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