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Though renewable energy has moved from momentum to maturity across Africa, virtual free-wheeling remains rare. Virtual freewheeling is the transport of electricity across existing grids for financial transactions (selling power from one location to another via shared lines), explains Brian Molefe, former chief executive of South Africa’s Eskom (2015 to 2016). Eskom is the largest power utility on the continent.

Though still modest by global standards, clean tech is taking off in South Africa, and its fortunes are closely tied to the country’s booming renewable energy sector. The Energy Pioneer showcases 5 exciting clean energy tech startups driving innovation across South Africa in 2026. These include compressed air energy storage, high-performance concentrated solar technology, and an intelligence service for land regeneration.

Zambia is part of the Africa Minigrids Program (AMP), a UNDP initiative focused on driving private-sector assessment of solar minigrids. They are doing this by implementing cost-reduction strategies and promoting innovative business models. The AMP is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented in partnership with RMI and the African Development Bank.

Stationed on the western coast of Bataan near the foothills of Mount Natib, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) has lain dormant for nearly forty years. Commissioned during President Ferdinand Marcos Sr’s administration, the plant was almost completed in 1984, costing the country $2.3 billion. Today, the Philippines is revisiting its nuclear energy ambitions as part of a broader strategy to cut its emissions.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of long-duration energy storage in the transition to a green economy, and both countries and industries would be well served by investing in these technologies.