Workforce Transition in South Africa’s Just Energy Transition
Can South Africa’s Just Energy Transition (JET) deliver environmental sustainability and socio-economic justice, or will it falter under systemic flaws? This policy brief examines the JET’s objectives of aligning climate goals with socioeconomic stability while addressing critical hurdles, including employment instability, the trade-off between job quality and quantity, skills mismatches, regional disparities, and inadequate social protection. Key findings reveal that renewable energy jobs, though growing in number, often lack the benefits of coal sector employment—such as job security, collective bargaining power, pension contributions, and long-term contracts. Skills development gaps further entrench inequalities, particularly in coal-dependent regions like Mpumalanga. The policy brief proposes several recommendations: a job guarantee scheme; reformed social insurance for broader coverage; scaled reskilling programs to bridge workforce gaps; and community-led governance to ensure local empowerment.

