There is a growing sentiment in SA that we are living through a decisive era. The kind where the choices we make today will not only shape our energy architecture, our economic direction and industrial strategy, but also test the integrity of our commitments to justice, accountability and inclusion. The question is no longer if SA should transition to clean, sustainable energy sources, but whether we can do so in a way that protects vulnerable workers, strengthens municipalities and enhances competitiveness.
The inaugural SA Climate Summit, hosted by theNational Business Initiative (NBI)in Johannesburg from November 24 to 25, arrived at a time when the nation was past debating climate urgency. It placed us in the domain of implementation. Two days, 28 sessions and representation from nearly every sector communicated a singular truth.
This summit was a declaration that implementation was on the table and required urgency. Business leaders, ministers, financiers, youth voices, civil society organisers and global partners acknowledged that the window for meaningful action was narrowing. As Steve Nicholls from Africa Energy Futures put it, “We need to minimise the time we are exposed to over 1.5ºC.” This 1.5°C threshold refers to the internationally agreed limit on long-term average global warming above pre-industrial levels under the Paris Agreement, beyond which climate risks escalate sharply.
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The SA Climate Summit sentiment mirrored the energy at recent global climate gatherings. Business is positioning itself not as a spectator but as an active driver of the transition. With world-class solar and wind resources, critical minerals and a private sector capable of scaling solutions, SA is well placed to lead on the continent.
This potential is tangible, already present in green industrial hubs and startup businesses emerging across provinces. For example, a session on the first day highlighted the impact of the Climate Finance Accelerator, delivered by the NBI, PwC UK and GreenCape. The programme has facilitated more than R2bn in matches between entrepreneurs and investors since 2021 for low carbon projects in the waste, energy and food space.
Our G20 and B20 engagements as well as COP30 participation call for closer collaboration between business and government and have signalled confidence in SA’s capacity to implement. Yet confidence will not upgrade transmission lines or unlock procurement bottlenecks. Implementation lives in the everyday, in frameworks for wheeling, maintenance budgets and capacity at municipal level.
No nation transitions on policy statements alone. Transition is built through work and partnership. One of the strongest themes to emerge was municipal empowerment. As rainfall patterns shift, heat intensifies and infrastructure strains, adaptation becomes practical, local and urgent.
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