On Thursday, South Africa’s Mining and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe advised the country to not move away from coal in a rush but shall do it systematically.
"I am not saying coal forever, ... I am saying let's manage our transition step by step rather than being emotional," he said.
He elaborated that South Africa is not a developed economy equipped with all the alternative sources. He added that the country must not collapse its own economy just because it is greedy of green funding. Still, he is supportive of green financing to support South Africa's energy transition, if it can be secured.
He compared that China could be an example of what could go wrong if a transition is attempted too quickly. "Xi Jinping is now increasing the import of coal, as we talk now, for China," he said.
By 2030, South Africa targets to slash coal’s proportion in the energy mix to lower than 60% from the current 75%. The country also aims to raise the share of wind and solar power to around 25%.
