South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Plans Miss the Mark Without Communities at the Centre, New Study Finds
Experts recommend community-level mapping to reflect lived realities and informal economy assets.
November 14, 2025, Johannesburg—South Africa’s plans for a just energy transition risk leaving communities behind unless they are grounded in local realities and built on long-term, trust-based engagement, according to new research.
The study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) reveals a deep disconnect between national policy and community experience in Mpumalanga’s coal towns, where residents perceive the transition as an external, top-down process. Researchers warn that procedural justice—genuine participation and shared decision making—remains the missing link in the country’s transition.
Over the course of a year, researchers conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Phola, Komati, Hendrina, Kriel, and eMalahleni, engaging with 43 community members, business owners, and local officials through participant observation, interviews, and focus groups.
The study mapped both formal and informal roles in the coal value chain, showing how mine closures are reshaping livelihoods, services, and local economies—especially for women and other marginalized groups.
A pilot project in Phola, eMalahleni went a step further, mapping 275 local businesses, public assets, and informal networks to understand how communities envision a post-coal economy. It found that informal livelihoods, the care economy, and local food systems are critical entry points for sustainable local development.
The pilot showed that working with communities and building local strengths can increase ownership and make transition planning fairer and more inclusive.
“Just transition cannot be just in name only; it must be just on the ground,” says Bathandwa Vazi, policy advisor at IISD and the lead author of the report. “Our work in Mpumalanga shows that effective transition projects must be built with communities, not simply for them. Ethnographic research has taught us how trust building should be done to draw communities into policy-making, making them part of the process.”
The findings highlight that just energy transition planning processes are often unclear, top-down, and insufficiently transparent, with women and informal workers excluded from decision making. The researchers argue that without deeper local engagement, the transition risks further entrenching inequalities.
“A truly just transition depends on relationships,” said Mahlatse Rampedi, researcher at PARI. “Procedural justice should mean more than a consultation checklist—it’s about ensuring communities see their realities reflected in the policies shaping their futures.”
To ensure a fair and inclusive transition, the study recommends to-
- Adopt co-production as core planning principal: Involve communities, especially women, youth and marginalized groups from the earliest stage of decision making.
- Build government capacity for community engagement: Develop training programs to help officials in building their skills in community research—such as in mapping the resources, strengths, and networks that exist within local communities, trust building, and inclusive engagement that goes beyond standard public consultations.
- Align Local Development Plans with Just Transition: Municipalities should align their development plans to reflect community priorities by integrating co-production results. These plans should address the risks and opportunities of energy transition and support fair and equitable local development.
- Use Local Data to Guide Transition Planning: Before closing any coal facility, build relationships in affected communities and gather insights into local economies, care systems, and social networks. This information should shape job transition plans, retraining programs, and community support services.
Media Contact
Bathandwa Vazi, Policy Advisor, IISD: [email protected]
Madhulika Verma, Senior Communications Officer, IISD: [email protected]
About PARI
PARI is an African research institute affiliated to the University of Johannesburg and Wits University, providing new and original social science research, advocacy and implementation support for South Africa, the global South and beyond.
About IISD
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is a globally recognized think tank with 3 decades of experience working to solve the world’s most pressing sustainable development challenges. We combine deep expertise in a wide range of issues with a collaborative approach to research, policy advice, and hands-on support to ensure these solutions are brought to life. Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, we are a diverse team of over 300 professionals working from offices in Canada, Switzerland, and other locations around the world.
You might also be interested in
How State-Owned Power Companies Are Impacting the Energy Transition in Emerging Economies
State-owned power companies control about half of the world's power production capacity and, in many countries, hold the keys to ensuring energy security and a successful energy transition.
How South Africa can Improve Grid Battery Deployment to Unlock Economic and Security Benefits
South Africa can take action to boost the deployment of grid-located batteries through better understanding of the sector, co-operative planning, increasing access to finance, and supporting localized production, new research suggests.
South African Fossil Fuel Subsidies Hit Record Highs as Country's Energy Crisis Deepens
South Africa's fossil fuel subsidies tripled between 2018 and 2023, hitting USD 7.5 billion, up from USD 2.9 billion 5 years earlier, a new report by IISD reveals.
Just Energy Transition Partnerships and How They Work
To limit the damage caused by climate change, the world needs to rapidly reduce carbon dioxide emissions everywhere, not just in rich countries. To get there, poor and middle-income places will require trillions of dollars for replacing coal plants with cleaner energy, improving electrical grids and retraining workers, among other measures. Just Energy Transition Partnerships, or JETPs, are among the most high-profile financing mechanisms designed to funnel money from wealthy economies to some of the bigger developing-world emitters for the purpose of weaning off fossil fuels. South Africa signed the first agreement in 2021, and a handful of others are getting off the ground, including in Indonesia. But the process has been slow and politically fraught, raising the question of whether such flagship plans can be inclusive, effective and timely enough to fulfill their promise.