Energy Conversations Returns for Season 3: From Policy to Participation
South Africa's energy transition is no longer a distant policy conversation. It is happening now in procurement rounds, grid expansions, community benefit programmes, and the daily decisions of households, entrepreneurs and workers trying to navigate a system that is shifting faster than they can follow.
Energy Conversations was created to change that.
Founded by Thokozile Zambane and produced by Kani Development Solutions, Energy Conversations is South Africa's leading public knowledge podcast on the energy transition.
Now entering its third season, the podcast continues its mission to translate the complexity of South Africa's energy and electricity systems into credible, accessible knowledge for citizens, professionals and communities.
Launched in March 2026, Season 3 marks a deliberate shift in focus:
"When I designed this season, I was thinking about the person who knows the energy transition is happening but doesn't understand where they fit," says Zambane.
"I want people to understand how the system works, where they fit in, and what they can actually do next. Participation fails when the system isn't clear. Season 3 is about making it clear."
The season opens with a wide-ranging conversation with Minister of Electricity and Energy Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, covering the issues ordinary South Africans care about most: load reduction, electricity prices, access, jobs and community participation.
Subsequent episodes will continue unpacking how energy plans, procurement programmes, grid expansion, and new technologies translate into real benefits for households, communities, workers, entrepreneurs, and local industry.
A dedicated strand of Season 3 will speak directly to young people and those building careers in the energy sector.
With expert sector voices, Energy Conversations explores what it takes to enter the energy industry, where the opportunities are, and how the transition is creating new pathways in renewable energy, grid infrastructure, community development, and green entrepreneurship.
Key features of Energy Conversations:
- Conversations with industry specialists, policymakers, academics who decode complex energy concepts in plain language
- A focus on practical understanding: how the system works, how to enter it, and how participation happens in practice
- Content designed for citizens, youth, entrepreneurs and professionals navigating South Africa's energy landscape
- Available on all major podcast platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube
Energy Conversations is produced by Kani Development Solutions in partnership with the African Energy Leadership Centre at Wits Business School.
Listen and subscribe to @energyconvos on all major podcast platforms and join the conversation on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok. What questions do you want answered this season?
About Kani Development Solutions
Kani Development Solutions is a tech-enabled participation infrastructure firm that designs and operates end-to-end participation delivery systems. The firm translates energy transition and green economy commitments into real, measurable and defensible participation outcomes for communities, youth and SMMEs.
Kani bridges the gap between policy intent and on-the-ground delivery by integrating engagement, readiness, access and evidence into a single, coherent system. Its work focuses on regions and communities that have historically been excluded from economic participation in national transition processes.
Operating across the energy transition and green economy, Kani partners with Independent Power Producers, development finance institutions, research bodies, industry associations and aligned funders to deliver participation at scale.
About the African Energy Leadership Centre (AELC)
Founded in 2017, the African Energy Leadership Centre at Wits Business School is the first of its kind on the continent. The AELC sculpts leaders in the energy sector who think strategically and have the skills needed to navigate the challenges of an ever-evolving energy landscape, driven by research and thought leadership, postgraduate and executive education, and networking and professional development.
About WBS:
Wits Business School, the graduate school of business administration of the University of the Witwatersrand is one of the oldest and most respected business schools in Africa and continues to grow, evolve and innovate – repeatedly spearheading new areas of study to take the next generation of African business leaders into the future. Apart from our AMBA-accredited MBA, WBS offers the widest range of specialist Master of Management programmes in South Africa and leads the field locally in new areas of research, including digital business, energy leadership and African philanthropy.
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