South Africa’s transition to cleaner energy is expected to create new employment opportunities while changing the skills required across the country’s energy economy.
The JET Skills Desk was officially launched by Deputy President Mr Paul Mashatile in August 2025 as a coordination mechanism to ensure that the Just Energy Transition (JET) is supported by new jobs, relevant skills and economic opportunities.
The Desk plays an important role in helping South Africa’s skills development system respond to changes in the energy sector. It also aims to support workers and communities that may be affected by the shift towards cleaner energy.
JET Skills Portfolio
The JET Skills Desk forms part of South Africa’s broader JET Skills Portfolio. This includes the National JET Skills Advisory Forum and the Multi-Donor Initiative, which supports the Desk through international partnerships.
One of the key objectives of the JET Skills Desk is to facilitate the establishment of Skills Development Zones in areas most affected by the energy transition.
These zones are intended to provide focused, demand-driven training that responds to local economic needs and emerging employment opportunities. The approach could help strengthen local skills pipelines, improve access to economic opportunities and build more resilient communities and local economies.
Eastern Cape Skills Development
The Eastern Cape situational analysis is an important step towards aligning the province’s skills development interventions with emerging industries and local economic priorities.
It will also help identify opportunities created by South Africa’s Just Energy Transition and ensure that skills development initiatives are responsive to the changing needs of the economy.
As the country moves towards a cleaner energy future, initiatives such as the JET Skills Desk are expected to play a role in ensuring that workers and communities have access to the skills and opportunities needed to participate in the emerging green economy.
