Project Overview
Despite Africa’s vast renewable energy potential and growing demand, many promising energy initiatives remain small-scale and struggle to move beyond pilot stages.
The Deep Scaling of Renewable Energy Seeds project explores how emerging renewable energy initiatives across Africa can scale up to become transformative systems that support green industrialisation, economic resilience and inclusive sustainable development.
Led by SAIIA’s Futures Programme, the project identifies promising ‘seeds’ – small renewable energy initiatives operating at the margins of existing systems – and explores how these can achieve institutional and societal integration, evolving into larger ‘iconic zones’ of green industrialisation. Through participatory action research, strategic foresight and multi-stakeholder engagement, the project aims to help define pathways for scaling these seed initiatives while embedding the necessary systemic change in policy, investment and governance frameworks, centring community upliftment and environmental wellbeing.
Project Significance and Research Contributions
In addressing the complexities and challenges of Africa’s energy transition, the attention of key actors tends to be on large-scale infrastructure projects that require substantial financing. Many grassroots initiatives creating innovative impacts at a smaller scale and with the potential to drive systemic change remain under-supported and at the margins.
The project recognises that, alongside capital and technological deployment, Africa’s renewable energy potential requires a shift in the values, practices and institutional arrangements that shape energy systems.
The research approaches scaling through three complementary pathways:
- Scaling up: Influencing policy frameworks and institutional adoption.
- Scaling out: Replicating successful models across regions or sectors.
- Scaling deep: Embedding new values and practices that support long-term systemic transformation.
Project Activities
The project examines renewable energy innovation across four identified emerging renewable energy zones in Africa, each representing a context-specific pathway toward green industrialisation:
The West African Power Pool (WAPP) Renewable Energy Grid: The focus for this iconic zone is on expanding renewable energy networks across 16 member countries to enhance energy security and support industrial development.
Transition Mineral Value Chains (Central Africa): In this renewable energy zone, the attention is on exploring how critical minerals required for renewable technologies can support sustainable mining, beneficiation and manufacturing within African economies.
Southern Africa Offshore Wind Zone: In this iconic zone, the main activities are mapping offshore wind opportunities in south-western Africa (South Africa, Namibia and Angola) as part of regional renewable energy transitions.
The East Africa Renewable Energy Corridor: The priority for this renewable energy zone is to support decentralised, community-led renewable energy initiatives along the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) route, as an alternative pathway to economic resilience.
Our Approach
The project builds on ongoing research combining foresight and collaborative peer learning through a structured methodology. The main aim of project activities is to map and connect renewable energy ‘seeds’ towards deep scaling and enhancing Africa’s renewable energy iconic zones:
Systemic mapping: Identifying and categorising renewable energy seed initiatives by innovation type, geographic focus, and their potential to improve livelihoods and sustainability outcomes through deep scaling.
Strategic foresight: Using foresight methodologies to explore how small-scale initiatives could evolve into large-scale energy systems and the support mechanisms required.
Peer learning and network building: Facilitating knowledge exchange and mentorship platforms that connect innovators, policymakers, investors and industry experts.
Open knowledge repository: Developing a digital repository documenting case studies, research findings and best practices to inform national and regional energy strategies.
Expected Outcomes
By linking renewable energy grassroots innovation with strategic policy agendas, the project is geared to:
- Establish a baseline for deep scaling of seed initiatives through comprehensive mapping across the four identified renewable energy iconic zones in Africa.
- Strengthen awareness of strategic, policy implementation and expansion pathways for just energy transitions and green industrialisation.
- Build a collaborative ecosystem connecting African energy innovators, policymakers and industry leaders to drive renewable energy transitions.
- Advance futures thinking within African energy strategies to help key actors and institutions anticipate emerging opportunities and disruptions.
