FEATURE : OPPORTUNITIES IN AFRICA
THE OPPORTUNITY TO BASE A STRONG DIGITAL AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE ON INNOVATIVE , RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS , HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A MODEL FOR THE WORLD .
According to Statista , 18 % of the African continent ’ s power comes from RES , or some 55GW , with solar capacity of 11,387MW and wind capacity of 6,500MW . Kenya has emerged as the leading producer of geothermal energy . Looking further out , estimates for the year 2050 project an increase of 27.3 exajoules ( EJ ) above the present value of 1.8 EJ .
Jobs boon
The World Economic Forum has recognised the African region ’ s potential for solar power , with predictions that up to 30 % of the continent ’ s power could come from solar by 2050 .
By 2030 , energy transition in Africa is expected to yield a total renewable energy employment of around five million jobs . The solar PV workforce is expected to dominate the field of renewable energy employment sector with roughly 3.8 million short-term jobs in construction , installation and manufacturing , as well as over 335,000 long-term occupations in operations and maintenance .
This would be a massive boon for labour markets and potential leadership in the field .
Justified optimism
There is every reason to expect the recent trends across the varied and diverse continent of Africa in technology , education , culture and economics , to coalesce into a powerhouse of development that is uniquely diverse and inclusive . Leading the world in bringing women into the workforce and enjoying the benefit of their attainment of the highest positions , African nations are attaining recognition of their respective achievements through orders of magnitude increases in investment .
With a proven record in uniquely adapting broader technological developments to national and regional needs , the opportunity to base a strong digital and sustainable future on innovative , renewable energy solutions , has the potential to be a model for the world . p
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