At the Africa Sustainable Energy Centre (ASEC) event during World Energy Week 2025, the Senior Manager for Grid Expansion and Energy Systems at the Energy Council of South Africa, MR. Keith Katyora, , cautioned that Africa’s clean energy ambitions would fail without first addressing its limited power transmission capacity.
Speaking in Cape Town, South Africa, Mr. Katyora stressed that countries across the continent must prioritize grid expansion to ensure a smooth and reliable energy transition. Using South Africa as an example, he revealed that the country requires 14,200 kilometres of new transmission lines by 2035 to support over 70 gigawatts of renewable projects currently in the pipeline.
He warned that without sufficient transmission infrastructure, many renewable projects would remain unconnected, undermining both power quality and supply reliability. Katyora added that while renewable energy costs are falling, inadequate transmission could lead to curtailment, instability, and unreliable electricity across the region.
Mr. Katyora also discussed new financing models to attract private sector investment into energy infrastructure. His team at the Energy Council is developing a private transmission model, where developers can build and share grid infrastructure, with utilities compensating them under structured agreements.
He disclosed that this approach could unlock over 22 billion Rands in private capital, driven by growing energy demand from industries such as data centers and banking. To ensure sustainability, he said the Council is crafting frameworks to mitigate risk and safeguard investors.
Expanding his remarks beyond South Africa, Mr. Katyora pointed to Zambia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, where energy shortages and climate impacts—such as drought-related blackouts—underscore the urgency for grid development. He emphasized that major projects like the Lobito Corridor cannot progress without adequate power supply.
Mr. Katyora urged African governments, policymakers, and financiers to work with the private sector in expanding transmission networks, saying it is the foundation for unlocking Africa’s renewable energy future.
He concluded by reaffirming that sustainable growth and energy reliability depend not only on renewable generation but on the strength of the grids that carry it.