President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for a coordinated pipeline of bankable energy infrastructure projects across Africa, urging greater participation by private financiers to address the continent’s electricity deficit.
Speaking at the Africa Energy Indaba on March 4, Ramaphosa said Africa’s energy ambitions will require large-scale investment backed by credible institutions, predictable regulation and partnerships capable of delivering infrastructure at scale.
“There needs to be a coherent pipeline of bankable investments supported by credible institutions, predictable regulation and partnerships,” he said.
The President said Africa’s energy infrastructure needs are too large to be met through incremental projects or public funding alone, emphasising the need for structured investment platforms capable of mobilising capital from domestic and international sources.
“Public finance cannot fund the full scale of Africa’s infrastructure needs on its own,” Ramaphosa said.
Energy assets typically require substantial upfront capital, long development timelines and stable revenue frameworks, making regulatory certainty and institutional credibility essential to attracting investment, he noted.
Ramaphosa said financial institutions, development finance institutions and private investors need to play a central role in scaling energy infrastructure across the continent.
“The private sector, financial entities across the world, development finance institutions and banks need to come in,” he said.
The President also noted that global geopolitical tensions are reinforcing the urgency to strengthen energy systems and supply security. Escalating conflict in the Middle East has heightened concerns about volatility in global energy markets, highlighting the importance of resilient regional energy infrastructure and diversified supply.
According to Ramaphosa, a coordinated investment pipeline supported by credible project preparation and regulatory stability would allow financiers to deploy capital into projects capable of strengthening electricity systems and supporting industrial development.
He noted that Africa’s energy agenda must also be linked to broader industrial development goals including local manufacturing, skills development and value addition linked to the continent’s natural resources.
At the same time, Ramaphosa highlighted the scale of Africa’s energy access challenge, noting that more than 600 million people across the continent still lack access to electricity.
Reliable and scalable energy systems are critical to industrialisation, economic growth and improved living standards, he said.
“Africa has what it needs to succeed. It has the resources. It has people. It has growing institutions,” Ramaphosa said.
“The remaining task is to match this potential with sustained implementation, translate plans into projects and turn projects into reliable power that supports industry, jobs and dignity for the people of our continent.”
Ramaphosa said strengthening cooperation between governments, financiers and project developers is essential to accelerate investment and deliver energy systems capable of supporting Africa’s economic development.
