Leaders from government, industry, civil society, and development partners came together for a powerful discussion on how Mpumalanga can drive a truly inclusive Just Transition. The session, jointly hosted by the Mpumalanga Green Cluster Agency (MGCA) and GIZ South Africa, highlighted the practical, collaborative actions needed to ensure the province’s shift to a green economy is equitable, locally grounded, and transformative.

Facilitated by Mr. Nkosinathi Nkonyane, CEO of MGCA, the session opened with insights into the province’s growing pipeline of community-centred green initiatives, from enterprise development and skills programmes to emerging clean energy value chains.

Key Highlights

The rotating panel brought together influential voices shaping Mpumalanga’s transition:

• Peter Venn, CEO of Seriti Green, spoke on the private sector’s responsibility to ensure renewable energy projects deliver real benefits through local procurement, enterprise development, and skills creation.
• Christina von Heyden, Project Director: JUST SA at GIZ South Africa, shared international lessons on Just Transition implementation and emphasised GIZ’s role in supporting MGCA and provincial stakeholders to turn plans into on the ground impact.
• Rest Kanju, Executive Director of Indalo Inclusive, highlighted the realities facing early-stage green SMMEs, particularly in rural and township economies, and the importance of intermediaries in unlocking genuine economic participation.
• Duduzile Sibiya, Provincial Climate Change Coordinator at DARDLEA, provided a government perspective on mainstreaming Just Transition principles into provincial planning and the need for enabling policies that strengthen cooperatives, SMMEs, and emerging green value chains.

Shared Priorities Identified

Collaboration as a catalyst
Strong partnerships between government, private sector, development partners, and communities are essential to scale impact.

Localised opportunity creation
A Just Transition must translate into real livelihoods, skills programmes, enterprise support, and community-level projects that uplift workers and households.

Inclusive ecosystem-building
Women, youth, township and rural entrepreneurs, and informal innovators must play a central role in green economic growth.

Strengthening provincial capacity
Mpumalanga needs robust institutions and coordinated policy mechanisms, with ecosystem actors like MGCA playing a key role in driving implementation.

The session closed with a powerful reminder:
Mpumalanga’s transition will be judged not only by megawatts installed or funding secured, but by the inclusivity of the opportunities created.

As one panellist noted, the priority going forward is ensuring communities are centred in every decision, every project, and every investment.

MGCA and GIZ extend their appreciation to all partners advancing this critical work. A green future for Mpumalanga is not only possible, it must be inclusive.