RES4Africa Foundation, in collaboration with Nedbank CIB and the European Investment Bank (through its development arm, EIB Global), convened a high-level roundtable titled “Beyond the Traditional Energy Model: Can Renewables Secure Africa’s Future at the Right Price?”.

Building on last year’s Forum, the session brought together senior representatives from African and international energy institutions, development finance actors, and private sector leaders to address a critical question for the continent: how renewable energy can underpin Africa’s energy security, industrial competitiveness, and long-term resilience in a rapidly evolving global context.

Held as a close-door roundtable, the event enabled a focused exchange on the structural transformation of Africa’s power systems. Participants highlighted the increasing complexity of global and regional energy markets, driven by geopolitical instability, supply chain disruptions, rising demand, and the growing integration of prosumers into electricity systems.

Against this backdrop, the discussions underscored the dual imperative facing African economies: advancing rapid industrialisation while ensuring access to affordable, reliable, and increasingly clean electricity as a cornerstone of sustainable development. 

The roundtable opened with welcome remarks and session framing by Marianna Petrosillo, Head of Southern Africa at RES4Africa Foundation, followed by opening remarks from Andrea Clerici, Director, Corporate Finance and Global Activities at EIB Global. The keynote address was delivered by Hon. Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa Minister of Electricity and Energy of the Republic of South Africa.

The central Town Hall discussion, moderated by Amith Singh, Head of Power and Renewable Finance at Nedbank CIB, focused on the question “Can Africa industrialise on a renewables basis?” with particular attention to market design, enabling frameworks, and de-risking instruments required to unlock investment at scale. The discussion underscored the need to move from reactive approaches to energy challenges toward coordinated, programmatic strategies prioritising system flexibility, digital coordination, and a renewables-led energy mix.

Closing remarks were delivered by Daniel Mminele, Chairman of Nedbank, who reaffirmed the importance of financial sector leadership in enabling Africa’s energy transition and supporting the continent’s broader industrial development ambitions.

Participants stressed that strengthening energy security in Africa requires a systemic transformation that aligns infrastructure investment, policy frameworks, and financial instruments. In this context, a renewables-led pathway was identified as a means to structurally reduce marginal electricity costs while enhancing resilience, competitiveness, and economic stability.

“This roundtable confirmed that Africa’s energy future will be defined by the ability to move beyond fragmented responses and toward integrated, system-wide solutions,” said Roberto Vigotti, Secretary General of RES4Africa Foundation. “Renewables are no longer only a climate imperative, but a strategic economic driver for industrial competitiveness, energy security, and long-term resilience. What is needed now is coordinated action to scale investment and enable a truly enabling ecosystem for transformation.”

Daniel Mminele, Chairman of Nedbank Group said "The energy transition is, above all, an economic development question. Africa's competitiveness across mining, manufacturing, digital infrastructure and agro-processing will increasingly depend on its ability to provide affordable, reliable and cleaner electricity as a core production input. Countries and regions that solve this problem will attract investment and build industrial capacity. Those that do not will face a structural disadvantage that compounds over time."

“Today’s global context shows that energy security is the foundation of resilience, competitiveness and stability. It is about designing systems that deliver reliability, affordability and sustainability at the same time,” remarked Andrea Clerici, Director for Corporate Finance and Global Activities at EIB Global. “This is what the EIB is committed to supporting in Africa, from solar power generation in Egypt to transmission in Zambia and innovative renewable solutions in Madagascar and Cabo Verde, helping to build clean, resilient and affordable energy systems that drive sustainable growth.”