South Africa 2025

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is delighted to be an official partner of the G20 South African Presidency, actively contributing to the Sherpa and Finance Tracks, as well as the Taskforce 1 on Inclusive Economic Growth, Industrialisation, Employment and Reduced Inequality. The IEA collaboration with South Africa is at the heart of the partnership set out in the two-year Joint Work Programme to guide bilateral cooperation and activities between the IEA and South Africa in the period of 2025-2026, which was signed by Executive Director Dr. Fatih Birol and Minister of Electricity and Energy Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa on June 6. The JWP establishes a solid framework for the bilateral collaboration and reinforces the close IEA support to South Africa’s G20 Presidency. This milestone underscores the strength of the partnership between the IEA and South Africa since the country joined the IEA Family in 2018.

Under the Sherpa track, the IEA is actively contributing to the Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG), the key initiative focused on advancing global energy transitions. Under the leadership of South Africa's Department for Electricity and Energy (DEE) the ETWG is structured around three key priorities: Energy Security, Affordability and Reliable Access; Just, Affordable and Inclusive Energy Transitions; African Interconnectivity and Energy Pools. The IEA is supporting the G20 ETWG Secretariat, led by the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), in each of these priorities by preparing analysis, sharing policy advice and convening activities.

On 10 October, the IEA participated in the G20 Energy Transitions Ministerial meeting which took place in Durban, South Africa. Ministers agreed upon the critical importance of clean cooking and launched a call for infrastructure investment to close the clean cooking gap. The Chairs Summary of the Ministerial reflects the discussions in Durban around the three critical priorities of the South Africa G20 Presidency’s ETWG:

Priority 1: Energy security, affordability, and reliable access

As part of the first priority, the IEA is providing advice building on the outcomes of the Future of Energy Security Summit. Taking forward the Clean Cooking Roadmap developed under Brazil’s 2024 G20 Presidency, the IEA has prepared a clean cooking infrastructure investment plan, which outlines practical actions that governments, industry, financiers, and civil society can take to advance clean cooking solutions across the continent of Africa. The Action Plan was presented at a side event focused on Advancing Clean Cooking for a Just Transition at the fourth ETWG meeting in Durban on October 7.

The IEA is providing policy guidance on outcomes related to energy efficiency, and co-hosted an energy efficiency side event with a focus on financing and sectoral policies at the second ETWG meeting in Cape Town on April 30. The Agency is also providing policy guidance on financing energy access, drawing from key findings of the upcoming Financing Electricity Access in Africa report.

Priority 2: Just, affordable and inclusive energy transitions

As it relates to priority two, the IEA seeks to build on the Blueprint for Action on Just and Inclusive Energy Transitions report prepared under the Global Commission on People-Centred Transitions, including through the development of an Indicators Handbook, demonstrating how governments and international stakeholders can develop context-specific indicators to track, monitor and measure progress on the G20 Principles for Just and Inclusive Energy Transitions. The Indicators Handbook was launched at a Meeting of the Global Commission taking place in Durban, South Africa on October 9, ahead of the Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting.

The IEA is developing a dedicated report, focusing on the beneficiation of critical minerals and energy-intensive commodities in Africa as well as opportunities for clean technology manufacturing. The IEA organized a side event focused on energy technology innovation and opportunities for African countries to step up the value chain for long term economic growth at the fourth ETWG meeting in Durban on 7 October 7. The event drew on the report, Stepping Up the Value Chain in Africa. Finally, the IEA is providing input under the theme of sustainable fuels, with a focus on Africa.

In support of South Africa women’s month in August, the IEA organized a Women’s Breakfast event at the third ETWG meeting on August 1, to celebrate the achievements of the ETWG over the past decade concerning women empowerment, highlighting experiences and opportunities for women’s leadership, particularly in energy transitions.

Priority 3: African interconnectivity and energy pools

On priority three, the IEA is supporting the exchange of best practices of regional interconnectivity and co-organised a workshop on G20 regional integration and regulatory cooperation at the third ETWG meeting in Sun City on 30 July. This workshop was used to inform the development of a booklet on best practices, documenting actionable regulatory and policy solutions for accelerating interconnection, planning and implementation. In partnership with the African Development Bank, African regulators and power pools, the IEA expertise on regional interconnectivity supports the harmonization of regulatory frameworks, enabling of cross-border trade, and development of the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM).

In the Finance track, the IEA presented a report on energy pricing and impacts on the global economy, as input to the G20 Framework Working Group.

The IEA is also collaborating closely with the South African Presidency on the G20 Critical Minerals Framework under Task Force 1, leveraging the IEA’s comprehensive data in the Global Critical Minerals Outlook, and analysis on traceability, beneficiation, recycling and supply-side innovation.