Flipping the Switch to a Green(er) Rural Economy in South Africa: Securing Community-Private Partnerships in the Renewable Energy Context
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/2520-9515/17309Keywords:
community-private partnerships (CPPs), renewable energy projects , rural livelihoods , sustainable developmentAbstract
The renewable energy sector is pivotal in the global transition to a low-carbon, climate resilient economy. Yet in South Africa, despite strong policy commitments to a just energy transition, rural communities continue to experience energy poverty and limited ownership or participation in renewable energy developments. A community-private partnership (CPP) is a collaborative model in which communities and private developers jointly own, govern, or benefit from renewable energy projects, enabling shared decision-making and equitable local benefit-sharing. This article, therefore, examines how CPPs can serve as a transformative model to secure rural livelihoods, enhance community agency, and address historical marginalisation. I draw on an interdisciplinary literature review, doctrinal legal analysis, and selected case studies to examine 1) the structural factors that limit meaningful community participation; 2) the archetypes of CPPs; and 3) the extent to which CPPs can be aligned with the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) criteria for community ownership. I argue that CPPs aimed at shared ownership, supported by democratic governance and equitable benefit-sharing, offers a pragmatic and socially just pathway for South Africa’s emerging green economy.
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