Webinar: South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Partnerships

Understanding the Implications of the SA-EU Clean Trade and Investment Partnership (CTIP)

On 8 April 2025, we organised a high-level webinar to unpack the evolving Critical Minerals Partnership between South Africa and the European Union (EU). The discussion followed the 8th SA–EU Summit, where both partners committed to a Clean Trade and Investment Partnership (CTIP) aimed at supporting environmentally sustainable value chains across critical minerals, green hydrogen, and clean technologies. The webinar explored how this partnership aligns with South Africa’s industrial policy, quest for a just energy transition, and domestic mineral beneficiation objectives.

The session drew 79 participants and featured expert contributions from:

• Professor Mkhulu Mathe, Head of the Centre for Energy Materials Design and Innovation, University of South Africa
• Gaylor Montmasson-Clair, Director and Co-Founder, Southern Transitions
• Sodhie Naicker, Managing Director, DMT Kai Batla South Africa
• Dr Nqobile Xaba, Energy and Mineral Resource Development Specialist, Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection
• Julia Poliscanova, Senior Director for Vehicles & E-Mobility Supply Chains at Transport & Environment (Brussels)

The discussion was moderated by Koffi Kouakou, Senior Lecturer at the Wits School of Governance.

Key Takeaways

• Strategic Autonomy is Non-Negotiable: Panellists emphasised the importance of South Africa defining its own Critical Minerals Strategy—one that aligns with national development priorities, fosters value addition, and drives inclusive growth. Dr Xaba cautioned that without robust criticality assessments and clear policy direction, the country risks reinforcing current patterns of exporting raw materials and commodity dependency within global supply chains.
• Partnership Must Go Beyond Rhetoric: Sodhie Naicker challenged the asymmetrical nature of current negotiations, describing some agreements as “extraction deals dressed in green.”He called for co-investment in value chains—beyond access to geological data and raw materials—emphasising the need for joint ventures and shared infrastructure to ensure meaningful and mutual benefit between SA and the EU.
• Battery Minerals Over Hydrogen Hype: Julia Poliscanova suggested the CTIP should prioritise battery minerals, particularly high-purity manganese, citing rising demand and feasibility. She warned against prematurely scaling up green hydrogen exports in the absence of a confirmed demand base from the EU.
• Regional Approaches and Knowledge Transfer Needed: Professor Mathe advocated for a SADC-led negotiation strategy, as opposed to fragmented and overlapping bilateral deals. He also stressed the need for mineral education curricula reform, closer industry–academia collaboration to support Research, Development and Innovation, and structured secondmentsto close skills gaps.
• Finance, Infrastructure, and Industrial Policy Must Align: A recurring concern was the lack of early-stage exploration funding, inadequate value-adding infrastructure, and the absence of industrial development incentives to move South Africa beyond its traditional role as a raw material supplier.

Looking Ahead

As South Africa finalises its Critical Minerals Strategy, it faces a pivotal question: will partnerships like the CTIP be leveraged to drive local transformation, or will the country remain a supplier of unprocessed minerals?

The discussion made it clear that South Africa must engage with the EU in ways that will strengthen its critical minerals value addition, and support for a just energy transition. Transparency and, and accountability must be central to this CTIP, which is a first in the world.  We will continue to monitor developments around the CTIP and convene platforms that interrogate the opportunities and challenges presented by the demand for critical energy transition minerals in Africa.

Webinar Recording & Audio

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