The South African rand has strengthened in the aftermath of successful elections, and renewable energy tops the list of a new political agenda.

As anticipated, the African National Congress (ANC), the political party of Nelson Mandela, has lost their majority rule of South Africa’s parliament for the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994.

In the wake of this long-simmering shake-up, the ANC is collaborating with a host of rival parties to form a multi-party national government. This new coalition, known as the Government of National Unity (GNU), brings together cabinet members from 10 different parties, including the business-friendly Democratic Alliance (DA), the Zulu-supported Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), and right-wing populist Patriotic Alliance (PA).

There are also some parties that are noticeably missing from the new coalition—among them are the new MK Party of former President Jacob Zuma and the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

As the dust continues to settle around the GNU, newly appointed ministers are hitting the ground running. On July 8th, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who runs the Energy and Electricity Ministry, vowed to shift South Africa from coal to renewable energy at an accelerated rate. “We are going to be the leaders on this continent in relation to renewables.”

At Energea, we couldn’t be happier with the outcome of these elections. The country had two paths before them, and they chose a path towards stability, freedom, and collaboration. We are more encouraged than ever to be investing in South Africa’s renewable energy sector and are optimistic about the future of the portfolio.

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