Beyond Installed Capacity: Addressing Structural Barriers in Renewable Energy Sectors Across SA, Ghana and Kenya

According to new reports, the potential of the renewable energy sectors in these countries is being stifled by fluctuating demand, weak enforcement of localisation rules, shortcomings in quality job creation, and entrenched gender biases.

Far too few countries on our continent have capitalised on the surge in renewable energy demand to build a robust manufacturing base capable of generating decent employment.

A four-year, three-country study published by the Institute for Economic Justice and its partners reveals that in nations such as South Africa, Kenya and Ghana, volatile demand coupled with lax localisation enforcement has curtailed sectoral potential. The reports further highlight deficits in decent work creation, persistent gender biases, care burdens that limit workforce entry, and the continued marginalisation of women.

One of the most significant obstacles is the nature of demand itself. Public procurement has been central to stimulating the renewable energy sector across the three countries through South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme, Kenya’s Energy Act of 2019, Ghana’s 2021 National Energy Policy, and the Renewable Energy Act of 2011, as amended in 2020. These policies have driven substantial capacity growth, exceeding 7GW in South Africa, 5.3GW in Ghana and 2.6GW in Kenya.

However, intermittent procurement cycles have generated investment uncertainty and constrained opportunities for sustained expansion.

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