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Youth Energy Summit 2026
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Session 1: Ask the Minister Q&A – Samantha Graham-Maré, Deputy Minister of Electricity & Energy, South Africa

Time: 11:45-12:15

Location: Room NILE

Session descriptions:
Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage in conversation directly with Samantha Graham-Maré, Deputy Minister of Electricity & Energy – discover the government initiatives available to help launch your career, gain insight into how policy is shaped to empower your success, and have your voice heard on the issues that matter most to young professionals and entrepreneurs.

Session 2: IPP Office of South Africa:  Driving Inclusive Growth: Youth Pathways in South Africa’s Energy Sector

Time: 12:15-12:45

Location: Room NILE

Session descriptions:
Established in 2010, the IPP Office plays a pivotal role in advancing large-scale energy infrastructure projects through the management of procurement rounds, bid evaluations, and long-term power purchase agreements. Join us as we hear from this key institution about how its partnerships with major energy companies are helping to drive investment, support economic growth, and create meaningful employment opportunities for young people.

YES! news

YES!

Pele Green Energy’s Jolene on finding your place in the energy transition

Pele Green Energy began as a drive to transform young South Africans' lives, with energy as the conduit. Speaking to ENN at AEF, Jolene Shaw of Knowledge Pele shares what nearly sixteen years has taught her, and why young entrepreneurs should find their place across the whole energy value chain.
Arts/Energy

ENN Book Club: The Black History Month Edit 

In October, Black History Month is celebrated in the United Kingdom, and in February, it is celebrated in the United States. Black History is not confined to a single month: it encompasses the past, present, and future, shaping the world we live in today. Through literature, stories, and lived experiences, we gain insight into resilience, creativity, and the pursuit of justice.  In this […]
Solar

Desert Technologies Strengthens African Partnerships and Explores Promising Investment Opportunities that Support its Expansion in the Continent at Africa Energy Forum 2026

Saudi solar manufacturer Desert Technologies used the Africa Energy Forum to showcase a portfolio built around AI, pairing high-performance solar and storage with tools for forecasting, performance analytics and predictive maintenance. The company also set out its mini-grid work for the communities across Africa still beyond the reach of the grid.
YES!

Seriti Green’s Chabisi Motloung on the careers waiting for young Africans in renewables

Four months after leaving smelting for renewables, Seriti Green's Chabisi Motloung has a message for young Africans: this is where the careers are. Speaking to ENN at AEF's Youth Energy Summit, the COO makes the case for reinvention, problem-solving, and the dream of a single interconnected African grid.
News

Cutting the cost of Africa’s energy transition with the right flexibility mix

With some of the world's best solar and wind resources, Africa is positioned to leapfrog into a low-cost renewable future. Writing for ENN, Kenneth Engblom, Vice President at Wärtsilä Energy, makes the case that the right mix of renewables, storage and flexible engines, rather than batteries alone, builds grids that are cleaner, more affordable and more reliable.
News

GE Vernova: Africa can leapfrog the grid challenges seen elsewhere.

GE Vernova's Kenneth Oyakhire on why the world is in an electricity investment supercycle, and how Africa can build a resilient grid rather than simply add capacity. Speaking at AEF, he set out the firming technology that lets the continent leapfrog the grid-stability challenges seen elsewhere
Energy access

Seriti Green’s Ummbila Emoyeni: a project of hope for Mpumalanga

Seriti Green's Peter Venn on why South Africa's largest wind project is being built in the heart of coal country. Speaking to ENN at AEF, he explains how Ummbila Emoyeni reskills coal workers for wind, draws its workforce from the local towns, and stands as a project of hope for Mpumalanga.
News

“Capital follows trust”: US Ambassador on what turns Africa’s resources into industrial growth

Africa's industrial future will be decided less by what lies under the ground than by what is built above it. At the Africa Energy Forum, John Giordano, US Ambassador to the Republic of Namibia, made the case that industrialisation is a connectivity story, and that investment follows once a country shows it is stable and governed by the rule of law.