The Current Ep 9 | Powering progress: Financing Africa's electrification

Loading player...
Despite Africa having 60% of the best solar resources in the world, it only has 1% of installed solar PV capacity. And some 600 million people in Africa don't have access to energy- with detrimental developmental consequences.
The need is huge, and so too is the opportunity to finance Africa’s renewable energy transition. Revego's CIO says the total investment for renewable energy in Sub-Saharan Africa for the next eight years could reach about 193 billion US dollars.
In episode 9 of The Current, we discuss what needs to be done to mobilise the necessary capital to electrify Africa. Host, Iman Rappetti, is joined by Ana Hajduka Shields, CEO of Africa GreenCo, Ziyaad Sarang, Revego's CIO and Brian Irvine, Investec's global head of Export and Agency Finance.
00:00: Intro
02:25: Meet the guests
02:58: All the resources and so little power
05:25: What's the cause of Africa's energy deficit?
06:34: What's got in the way of investment in energy infrastructure?
07:44: Moving away from fossil fuels
08:26: Africa to leapfrog to green industrialisation
09:32: The "Beautiful convergence" of climate concerns, economics and energy efficiencies
11:19: Africa's riches need to be harnessed
12:19: Innovative financing: export finance credit agency
13:14: Acre Import Capital - A real-world example
16:24: Green bonds to build infrastructure
17:15: What about equity markets?
19:13: Education is a key factor to attract capital
22:30: Regional power pools and trading of energy
24:19: South Africa to benefit from cross-border trading
25:41: C&I project for commercial off-take
26:10: In crisis comes opportunity- 193bn dollars in opportunity
This podcast was brought to you by Investec's Export and Agency Finance team to find out more click here: https://www.investec.com/en_za/investec-for-corporates/finance/export-and-agency-finance.html
18 Jun 2024 English South Africa Business · Investing

Other recent episodes

Macro Monday Ep101: Big in Japan – not so big in the US

Chris Holdsworth looks at some of the key takeouts from Investec’s latest global asset allocation committee meeting. These include decisions to maintain an underweight position in US equities – based on the country’s economic outlook and high valuations – and to increase the allocation to Japanese equities.
19 Jan 7 min

NOW Ep117: WEF2026 | What markets will be watching in Davos

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting is here and markets are paying attention. As leaders gather in Davos, the conversations will likely shape risk premiums, capital allocation and investor confidence in the months ahead. In episode one of our special Davos Debrief podcast series, host Jeremy Maggs is joined by…
18 Jan 13 min

Everything Counts | Episode 39: Young professionals and the debt trap

Drowning in credit offers the moment you land your first paycheck? You’re not imagining it, from store cards to buy-now-pay-later, young professionals are being pulled into debt faster than they can say “credit approved". In this episode of Everything Counts, host Motheo Khoaripe sits down with Investec’s Keshnie July, Lending…
12 Jan 22 min

Macro Monday Ep 100: A year when valuations mattered

In the first episode of Macro Monday for 2026, our Chief Investment Strategist Chris Holdsworth looks at market performance over the last year. While US equities added 18% in 2025, it lagged behind global equities (up 23%) and an array of countries, including South Africa. One of the top-performing currencies…
12 Jan 10 min

Art in Focus Series 2 | Ep 1: The business of art

Listen to Frank Kilbourn of Strauss & Co. and Ashleigh McLean of Whatiftheworld Gallery on how galleries and auction houses navigate market cycles, build sustainable artist careers, and assign value in a constantly shifting art ecosystem. They also share invaluable insider-insights on upcoming artists to watch. Key moments: 00:00 Introduction…
4 Jan 34 min