Cape Town—Africa is not merely on the cusp of an energy revolution; it is poised to become a global powerhouse in green hydrogen production, a transformation projected to create a staggering two to four million jobs across the continent by 2050. President Cyril Ramaphosa passionately articulated this ambitious vision this week at the inaugural Africa Green Hydrogen Summit in Cape Town.
Under the theme “Unlocking Africa’s Green Hydrogen Potential for Sustainable Growth,” the two-day summit, which concluded yesterday, brought together a formidable assembly of African energy ministers, policymakers, investors, developers, technology partners, and research institutions. Their collective mission: to strategically sculpt the continent’s nascent green hydrogen sector and unleash its immense potential for economic prosperity and sustainable development.
President Ramaphosa, in an address brimming with optimistic fervour, underscored Africa’s unique advantage in this emerging global market. “The alliance’s ambition targets 30 to 60 tonnes of green hydrogen production by 2050,” he declared, adding with a pointed nod to historical exploitation, “Now this should be a great envy by those countries that once saw Africa as a place to come and just extract minerals, and I shouldn’t say plunder.”
According to the South African leader, the summit is set to be a pivotal platform for collaboration and strategic planning, firmly positioning Africa as a key player in the burgeoning global green hydrogen economy. This isn’t just about clean energy, he stressed; it’s about a fundamental redefinition of Africa’s role in the global industrial landscape.
“Green hydrogen is a way to marry Africa’s mineral riches with our renewable energy endowment to decarbonise heavy industries, to create jobs, to stimulate investment and to unlock inclusive growth across borders,” Ramaphosa explained. The promise is clear: to leverage Africa’s abundant solar and wind resources, combined with its strategic mineral wealth, to drive a new era of industrialisation and job creation, all while tackling the urgent imperative of climate change.
As the world grapples with decarbonisation and the transition to cleaner energy systems, Africa’s vast, untapped potential in green hydrogen offers an enticing proposition. The sentiment from the summit is one of bold intent, signalling that the continent is ready not just to participate in, but to lead, this critical global shift. The road ahead may be long, but with such grand ambitions and the collective will displayed in Cape Town, Africa’s green hydrogen dream appears to be moving from aspiration to tangible reality
