The Africa Energy Forum 2025 opened today at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, gathering over 6,000 delegates from across the continent and beyond to tackle one of Africa’s most urgent challenges: expanding access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy.
Held under the theme “Africa United: Powering Our Common Future,” the forum spotlighted homegrown innovation, regional collaboration, and long-term investment strategies as key drivers of a just energy transition for the continent.
Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, South Africa’s Minister of Electricity, delivered a powerful message emphasizing the urgency of investing in modern grid infrastructure 
Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, echoed the call for coordination and scale, citing the need for continental alignment to ensure that large-scale energy projects reach communities across borders.
Addressing delegates via video, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced sweeping reforms aimed at slashing the cost of energy projects by up to 40%. The reforms focus on streamlining permitting processes and overhauling regulatory frameworks to accelerate energy access and attract more private investment.
Former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama called for an inclusive transition that brings women, youth, and marginalized communities into leadership roles in Africa’s energy agenda.
Throughout the day, delegates highlighted successful initiatives such as cross-border transmission lines, utility-scale solar and wind farms, and battery storage innovations that have strengthened grid reliability across several countries.
Cape Town earned praise for its local energy innovations, including city-wide rooftop solar incentives, increasing residential battery storage, and ambitious pumped hydro plans that reduce reliance on the national grid.
One of the major highlights of the forum was the Youth Energy Summit, which attracted more than 4,000 young professionals, students, and entrepreneurs. Through mentoring, pitches, and networking sessions, the summit provided a powerful platform for Africa’s next generation of energy leaders to voice their ideas and solutions.
As the forum continues, stakeholders are expected to sign several strategic partnerships and financing deals aimed at accelerating Africa’s path toward universal energy access, climate resilience, and economic transformation. The Africa Energy Forum 2025 runs until June 18 in Cape Town
