Last month, the 5th Ordinary Session of the African Union Specialised Technical Committee on Transport, Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure and Energy was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, reaffirming the continent’s commitment to advancing regional integration, infrastructure development and sustainable energy access.
The meeting brought together representatives from African Union Member States, ministries, regional institutions, regulators, development partners and other stakeholders to review progress across the transport and energy sectors, strengthen cooperation and identify priorities for advancing key continental initiatives over the coming years.
Working sessions focused on Energy, Transport and the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), alongside discussions on draft experts’ reports and sectoral action plans. Energy discussions highlighted the importance of regional integration, enabling regulatory frameworks, infrastructure development and sustainable energy access solutions.
Christine Juta, GET.transform Africa Regional Window Coordinator, presented during the Energy working session a technical presentation on the benefits of adopting the African Model Mini-Grid Regulation Tool, developed jointly with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Forum for Utility Regulators (AFUR). The presentation demonstrated how harmonised and investment-ready regulatory frameworks can accelerate mini-grid deployment, improve project bankability and support universal electricity access across Africa.
A key outcome of the forum was the adoption of the Johannesburg Declaration, which reaffirmed Africa’s collective commitment to accelerating infrastructure delivery, expanding energy access and advancing sustainable mobility. Participants also supported new initiatives aimed at advancing electric mobility, improving energy efficiency and strengthening long-term infrastructure investment in Africa.
Discussions further underscored the urgency of mobilising investment and scaling implementation of continental initiatives, including the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM) and the second Priority Action Plan of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA PAP2). Participants also called for broader adoption of the African Model Mini-Grid Regulation Tool across AU Member States.
