A changing geopolitical landscape of energy access – but not without hope, opportunity and human connection

Last week, I attended Enlit Africa 2025 in Cape Town together with over 2,600 companies and representatives from 76 countries to connect about the future of energy, water, and infrastructure. As usual, the hustle and bustle of the exhibition hall, with many good presentations, technical masterclasses and candid roundtables, brought out the best in us to discuss Africa’s readiness and approach to the ongoing global (energy) transition.

We are currently witnessing a fundamental reconfiguration of global capital flows and alliances. Geopolitical tensions, shifting priorities in the US and Europe, and emerging players such as China and the Gulf states are reshaping development finance. In this changing landscape, the question is no longer centred around how to attract funding, but how to shape the terms of engagement of the investments and the partnerships through which they are formed—to ensure that investments align with Africa’s developmental needs, climate ambitions, and local realities.

At Enlit 2025, a particular highlight for me was participating in the Project and Investment Network panel titled “Africa’s Energy Investment in the Age of Changing Geopolitics.” This session convened leading voices in the investment and finance space to discuss how Africa can remain resilient, proactive, and strategic in attracting investment amidst global uncertainty?

In this panel discussion, moderated by Matthew le Cordeur (who managed to keep the excitement going to the last minute), we focused on three critical themes: the opportunities and risks of new financial actors, the power of blended finance, and the vital need for Africa to reclaim its investment narrative. Across sectors, perspectives and end-goals, we agreed: it is no longer sufficient to wait for global capital to find us; we must start telling our story, a story that goes beyond “risk” to one of resilience, innovation, and long-term value.

From my perspective—working on the ground in capacity building, inclusive development and technology innovation—I emphasised the importance of embedding social equity, capacity enhancement and local benefit into investment strategies. The risk of a growing disconnect between global capital and what is needed at the local level is real and is pressing. As large-scale infrastructure increasingly attracts global funding, we must remain vigilant that off-grid and vulnerable communities are not left behind neither in accessing energy, nor in helping to drive the sector such as through employment or entrepreneurship.

I argued for a people-centred investment narrative—one that highlights Africa not only as a site of unmet demand, but as a source of human ingenuity, local innovation, and climate leadership. Tools like the Just Transition Framework, gender-inclusive design and business models, and embedding energy programmes firmly in the local context, offer not only developmental impact, but also a compelling value proposition for long-term investors.

There is no shortage of ideas or ambition on this continent. Africa is not waiting to be rescued. But, we do need coordinated action, smarter storytelling, and to demand equitable partnerships.

– Written by Jiska de Groot