Balancing Today and Tomorrow: Africa in the Global Energy Trends and Transitions

By Ajong Mbapndah L, Managing Editor Pan African Visions:

The global energy landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by environmental demands, technological advances, geopolitical dynamics, and changing consumer patterns. In light of supply chain vulnerabilities, climate change, and growing energy inequality, the conventional model, which is centered on fossil fuels and centralised infrastructure, is no longer viable. These pressures have seen a global shift in priorities, reflected in the scale and direction of energy investment.

Overall investment will reach an all-time high of $3.3 trillion in 2025, with clean energy technologies drawing in $2.2 trillion – double that invested in oil, gas, and coal. This reflects a positive shift toward climate goals, investment in renewables, and a growing focus on energy security. At the same time, fossil fuels continue to supply around 80% of global primary energy, highlighting their ongoing role in meeting current demand and supporting economic stability during the transition. The simultaneous growth of renewables and continued reliance on hydrocarbons presents a unique opportunity: to shape a balanced energy future that accelerates decarbonisation while ensuring access, reliability, and affordability. For Africa, this is a significant imperative that can unlock progress across sectors. Despite being home to 20% of the world’s population, Africa receives only 3% of global energy investment. Over 600 million people remain without access to electricity, and over 1 billion cook with unsafe fuels. These figures reflect barriers to education, healthcare, and economic growth and development. At the same time, the region boasts some of the world’s most abundant renewable energy resources, ranging from the Sahel’s solar corridors to wind-abundant shores and emerging green hydrogen centres in Namibia, South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco. Natural gas is also proving to be a reliable and scalable transition fuel in Africa, helping bridge the gap between current energy needs and a cleaner future.

The global energy transition is progressing at different paces across the world. Europe is moving quickly, driven by geopolitical tensions and ambitious climate goals that have accelerated the transition to renewables. Asia, China, and India in particular, are investing significantly in solar power, hydrogen technologies, and electric transport and positioning themselves to become a dominant force in clean energy technology. This global momentum offers valuable lessons and partnerships for Africa as it charts its own path toward a more inclusive and sustainable energy future.

Developing nations, on the other hand, face a more complex scenario. Fossil fuels continue to dominate most energy needs. Through 2025, it is estimated that 52% of African investments in energy will be directed towards hydrocarbons, which are crucial for funding essential services such as infrastructure development, education systems, and healthcare delivery.

Africa’s future energy path must be pragmatic. Exiting too rapidly from fossil fuels would undermine progress and deepen poverty. Instead, the continent should transition toward a phased and balanced approach that derives value from existing resources while stepping up investment in renewables and clean technologies.  Instead, the continent needs a phased transition; one that leverages existing resources like natural gas, a powerful and preferred transition fuel, while scaling up investment in renewables and clean technologies. This aligns with the “just transition” principle, considering different starting points and capacities in regions.

The continent has a chance not only to improve access to energy but also to play a bigger role in the global energy market. The timing is right. solar power is now one of the most affordable ways to produce electricity in many countries, thanks to a 90% drop in costs over the past decade. Battery technology is improving, making renewable energy more reliable. These developments show that Africa can be a key supplier, not just a user, of clean energy in the years ahead.

But funding remains a major challenge. Servicing debt will absorb 85% of the entire energy investment in Africa in 2025, limiting the ability to start new projects.

To overcome these obstacles, Africa needs concerted support through concessionary financing, risk-sharing mechanisms, and regulatory reform. Institutions of public and development finance must play a key role, especially to serve impoverished areas and new technologies.

Ultimately, energy transitions are not a matter of choosing between fossil fuels and renewables. It is about managing change in a responsible manner. Africa cannot be expected to forgo the resources driving its growth. Instead, it needs to be empowered to adopt a balanced path; one that brings secure energy now and sustainable prosperity tomorrow.

Furthermore, the global energy transition of the world will be successful only if it involves all. Africa’s energy future is central to the world realising its ability to develop a resilient, low-carbon energy system. The choices made today will not only shape the continent’s trajectory but also the collective global future.

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Africa Fact: Autopsies and caesarean operations were routinely and effectively carried out by surgeons in pre-colonial Uganda. The surgeons routinely used antiseptics, anaesthetics and cautery iron. Commenting on a Ugandan caesarean operation that appeared in the Edinburgh Medical Journal in 1884, one author wrote: “The whole conduct of the operation . . . suggests a skilled long-practiced surgical team at work conducting a well-tried and familiar operation with smooth efficiency.”