By Moahlodi Maphori
The Mpumalanga province has powered South Africa for generations. Today, the province stands at the centre of the country’s Just Energy Transition, well placed to lead the way in building the skills and industries of a modern, diversified economy.
This transition is opening a new chapter in which cleaner energy goes hand in hand with new skills, new industries and new opportunities for our people. Government is determined that these benefits reach every community.
The province brings real strengths to this moment, because the experience built in its mines, power stations and factories has produced a workforce with deep technical knowledge and a proud industrial tradition. Those capabilities are valuable in the emerging economy of renewable energy, energy storage, advanced manufacturing, electric vehicles and green hydrogen, where artisans, technicians and engineers will be in demand, and the government is investing in preparing workers and young people to take up these opportunities.
Government’s approach is guided by the principle that no one should be left behind, which means training is being designed around the needs of industry and in close partnership with business, labour, communities and training institutions. By aligning skills programmes with real economic opportunities and giving young people and existing workers clear pathways into apprenticeships, learnerships and employment, the government is ensuring that learning leads to work and that the transition delivers shared prosperity.
This commitment took a significant step forward with the launch of the Mpumalanga Skills Development Zone on 29 October 2026, led by the Just Energy Transition (JET) Skills Desk and launched by the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, together with the Mpumalanga Provincial Government.
As the first of three zones under the national JET Skills Portfolio, it is anchored in Nkangala, with Emalahleni and Steve Tshwete taking part, and Nkangala TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) College as the lead institution; it brings colleges, employers, government and communities together to plan skills around local needs, expand apprenticeships, learnerships and internships, and strengthen training facilities.
The strength of this model lies in its link to the Special Economic Zones, which attract and concentrate industrial investment while the Skills Development Zones prepare local people to fill the jobs that investment creates. Working together, they allow skills planning to inform investment decisions and investment pipelines to guide what colleges teach, so that businesses can find the talent they need and residents can access the opportunities being created on their doorstep.
Mpumalanga is therefore not simply a province adjusting to change but the place where South Africa’s next industrial chapter is being shaped, with government, business, labour and communities working side by side to turn the promise of the transition into lasting jobs, thriving local enterprises and a skilled workforce. By investing in people today, we are building an economy in which Mpumalanga continues to power the nation, and its people share fully in the growth that follows.
* Maphori is the Economic Cluster Coordinator at the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS).
