G20 Drive Secures €15.1 Billion in Pledges to Scale African Renewables

Leaders say the focus now shifts to implementation, prioritizing grids, storage, off‑grid access, clean cooking and local participation.

Overview

Delegates at the Global Citizen/Scaling Up Renewables event in Sandton reported €15.1 billion in commitments on the eve of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an additional €7 billion from Europe for renewables in Africa.
Organizers said the pledges are expected to help deploy roughly 27 gigawatts of clean power and extend access to about 17.5 million households.
President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed the commitments, emphasizing a just transition and noting South Africa’s more than 17 gigawatts of installed renewables with a goal of 45 gigawatts by 2035.
Officials highlighted the delivery challenge, pointing to Africa’s investment gap—only about 2% of last year’s $2 trillion clean‑energy spending—and the need for long‑term finance, grid upgrades, storage, and off‑grid and clean‑cooking solutions.