Can Africa Finance the Energy Systems Its Industrial Future Demands?

Renewables are no longer just part of Africa’s decarbonisation story. They are becoming central to how the continent powers mines, manufacturing, infrastructure and long-term economic growth.

Hosted by Energy News Network (ENN) in partnership with The Electricity Hub, Let’s Talk Energy continues its series from the Africa Energy Forum 2026 with Vincenzia Leitich, Executive Vice President, Power & Renewables, Client Coverage, Standard Bank.

The conversation looks beyond standalone renewable projects to the rise of integrated energy systems combining generation, storage, transmission, gas flexibility and distributed power. Vincenzia explores how open-access markets, private-sector participation and mining demand are creating new investment models, while grid constraints, currency risk and utility bankability continue to complicate capital deployment.

With Africa holding some of the world’s strongest renewable resources alongside rapidly growing power demand, the episode asks whether innovative finance, regulatory reform and deeper collaboration between governments and capital providers can turn the energy transition into a broader industrial growth story.