The African Union Commission (AUC) is organising the 5th Ordinary Session of the African Union Specialised Technical Committee on Transport and Energy (STC-T&E), which will be held from 27 - 30 April 2026 in Johannesburg.
Chief Director at the Department of Electricity and Energy, Elizabeth Marabwa, said South Africa hosting the session demonstrates the country’s leadership role in driving continental development.
“It also provides an opportunity for us to showcase our progress in energy and transport, while facilitating collaboration among African countries. Importantly, it positions South Africa at the centre of discussions that will shape infrastructure investment and policy across the continent,” Marabwa said on Tuesday.
Speaking during an interview with the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), Marabwa said that the meeting will focus on several critical areas.
“Firstly, there will be a review of progress on the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), which is central to continental integration.
“Secondly, discussions will cover transport systems including aviation, rail, maritime and road transport aimed at improving connectivity, safety and sustainability,” Marabwa said.
On the energy front, Marabwa said there will be strong emphasis on renewable energy, energy market integration and initiatives such the African Single Electricity Market.
“There will also be discussions on emerging areas such as green hydrogen and clean energy transitions.”
Marabwa said the meeting will begin with a two-day Experts' Session from the 27 - 28 April, where technical experts will deliberate on detailed issues.
This will be followed by the Ministerial Session on 30 April, where Ministers will consider recommendations, provide strategic guidance, and adopt key decisions and declarations.
Marabwa explained that the meeting is about improving people’s lives.
“Better transport systems mean safer roads, more efficient travel and improved trade. Stronger energy systems mean more reliable electricity, increased access to clean energy and economic opportunities.
“While the discussions happen at a high level, the outcomes directly impact service delivery, job creation, and economic growth,” she said.
The STC-T&E is the Ministerial decision-making organ of the AU responsible for providing policy and strategic oversight for continental integration in the infrastructure sectors of transport and energy.
It was established along with other similar sectoral organs initially as the Committee on Transport, Energy and Communications under Article 25 of the African Economic Community Treaty (the Abuja Treaty) in 1994 and subsequently, under Articles 14, 15, and 16 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union in 2000.
It was reconfigured into the STC on Transport, Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure, Energy and Tourism (STC-TTIIET) in 2009.
Following the AU institutional reform process and the transfer of the Tourism function from the Department of Infrastructure and Energy (IED) to the Department of Economic Development, Tourism, Trade, Industry, Mining (ETTIM), the STC was renamed as the STC on Transport and Energy through a decision of the AU Executive Council in February 2024.
In accordance with its Rules of Procedure, the STC meets in ordinary sessions biennially, while extraordinary sessions are convened on a need-basis to consider items requiring the urgent attention of the STC. The STC has held four ordinary and three extraordinary sessions since 2017. – SAnews.gov.za
