ARIS 2025 Programme by Renew Africa

Welcome Note

From the ARIS 2025 Team

Welcome to the 4th Edition of the Africa Renewables Investment Summit (ARIS 2025) — Africa’s foremost marketplace for renewable energy investment. Over the next two days, we gather here at the Cape Town International Convention Centre to connect visionaries, investors, policymakers, developers, and innovators who share one mission: accelerating Africa’s energy transition through strategic investment and partnership.

This year’s summit builds on our shared commitment to unlock Africa’s immense renewable potential — from solar, wind, hydro, and green hydrogen to energy storage, local manufacturing, and transmission infrastructure. With hundreds of delegates from around the continent and the world, ARIS 2025 is designed as a space for meaningful dialogue, deal-making, and collaboration.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we are shaping the future of Africa’s sustainable energy landscape — one partnership, one project, and one breakthrough at a time.

Welcome to ARIS 2025 — where Africa powers its future.

— The ARIS 2025 Team

Thank you to our Sponsers and Partners

Trade & Investment Partners Strategic

Partner

November Tuesday

ARIS CONFERENCE & MEETING ROOMS OPEN:

Matchmaking: Delegates to book private one-on-one meetings via event matchmaking app.

07:30 – 08:45 Matchmaking Lounge, Hall 8

ORGANISERS’ WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS: from Enkromelle Andrew, Chair Munyaradzi Jani, Executive Director, RenewAfrica

HOW TO DEVELOP A PIPELINE OF INVESTMENT-WORTHY GREEN HYDROGEN PROJECTS IN AFRICA:

Africa’s green hydrogen potential remains trapped in pilot purgatory - no projects have reached financial close, despite growing global interest. Why the stall? This session cuts through the hype, exploring how developers, governments and financiers can align to de-risk projects, secure long-term off-takers and craft structures that attract serious capital. From innovative financing models to enabling policy frameworks, industry leaders will share practical insights to transform Africa’s hydrogen pipeline from powerpoints into bankable, investable infrastructure.

Chair: David Sekgororwana, Managing Director, African Hydrogen Ventures

Panelists:

• John Nutt, Technical Director – Africa, Hive Energy

• Thomas Frohn, Green Energy & Sustainability Manager, SouthernAfrica, TÜV SÜD South Africa

• Lebogang Langa, Commercial Manager, HDF Energy South Africa

• Dr Rebecca Maserumule, JET IP Green Hydrogen Programme Director, Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)

09:00 – 09:10 Hall 8

09:45 – 10:30

Hall 8

November Tuesday

INNOVATIVE

FINANCING STRUCTURES AND RISK MITIGATION TOOLS FOR SCALING RENEWABLE ENERGY

IN AFRICA

Access to affordable finance remains one of the biggest barriers to scaling renewable energy across Africa. This session explores cuttingedge financial instruments, blended finance models and de-risking mechanisms that are unlocking capital for clean energy projects. Experts from development finance institutions, private equity, insurance and project development will discuss how tools like credit guarantees, local currency financing and political risk insurance can lower the cost of capital and attract investment at scale.

Chair:

Shannon Royden-Turner, CEO Alchemist, Actuality Africa

Panelists:

Christopher Ahlfeldt, Founder, Sustainability Specialist, Blue Horizon Energy Consulting Services

Christoph Michel, Senior Advisor Financing, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Dr Markus Schulte, Deputy Head of Regional Hub for Southern Africa & Indian Ocean, European Investment Bank

Alex Memela, Project and Infrastructure Finance Specialist

Chioma Ehimare, ESG Manager, CrossBoundary Energy

C&I RENEWABLES IN AFRICA: UNLOCKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVESTORSAND DEVELOPERS

Africa’s commercial and industrial (C&I) renewables market is fast becoming a compelling asset class, driven by rising energy costs, unreliable grids and demand for cleaner power from corporate oﬀtakers. This session explores how investors and developers are capitalising on this opportunity through innovative ﬁnancing models, long-term PPAs and scalable solar-plus-storage s olutions. Industry leaders will examine what it takes to structure bankable projects, assess credit risk and build investable portfolios in one of the continent’s most dynamic energy segments..

Chair: Marc Dunnink, Senior Portfolio Manager, Wesgro

Panelists:

Kadri Nassiep, Executive Director (Energy), City of Cape Town

Nato Oosthuizen, Partner, BDO South Africa

Hubert Gutsa, CEO, Scalar International

Ntlai Mosiah, Executive Director, Autonomi Capital

Mark Sims, Head of Power Trading, Solarcentury Africa AFRICA RENEWABLES MARKETPLACE & MATCHMAKING

11:00 – 11:45

Hall 8

11:45– 12:30 Hall 8

12:30 – 13:00

Hall 8

13:00 – 14:00

November Tuesday

CHARGING AFRICA’S BATTERY ECOSYSTEM: INVESTMENT PATHWAYS FROM UTILITY-SCALE TO DECENTRALISED STORAGE

As Africa scales up renewable energy deployment, battery storage is emerging as a critical enabler—from stabilising national grids to powering commercial facilities and oﬀ-grid communities. This session explores the evolving battery storage landscape across the continent, spotlighting the diverse investment opportunities in both large-scale grid-connected systems and decentralised, behind-the-meter solutions. Experts will discuss the ﬁnancing structures, risk-sharing mechanisms and policy innovations needed to unlock capital at every level of the battery ecosystem.

Chair:

Teri Kruger, Founding Director, Synergetics Sustainable Solutions

Panelists:

Jarrod Lyons, Head of Business Development, ACES Africa

Aradhna Pandarum, Executive Director & CEO, Just Green Strategies

Nathan Sermonis, CEO & Co-Founder, Vittoria Technology

Rizqah MacGirlley, Product & Project Manager, Solar MD

BEYOND ACCESS: DESIGNING MINI GRIDS FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND LONG-TERM VIABILITY

The next phase of mini grid deployment in Africa must go beyond powering homes—it must power livelihoods. This session will explore how mini grid developers, ﬁnanciers and governments are embedding productive use of energy, local enterprise development and innovative business models into project design to ensure long-term viability. With insights from operators, DFIs and policymakers, the discussion will focus on how to align tariﬀs, stimulate demand and enable cross-sector partnerships to create mini grids that drive inclusive economic growth while delivering sustainable returns.

Chair: Linsey Dyer, Executive Director, ENDEVA

Panellists:

Charlie Wilkinson, Chief Operations Oﬃcer, ARC Power

Miguel Sottomayor, Board Member, Associação Moçambicana de Energias

14:00 - 14:45

Hall 8

14:45 – 15:30

Hall 8

Renováveis (AMER)Maxime Eon, Vice President of Revenue, Odyssey Energy Solutions

Ojuru Adeniji, VP, Origination & Structuring, InfraCredit

Zandile Hlatywayo, Chief of Staﬀ & Head of Strategy, Allied Talent Partners

HYDROPOWER REINVENTED: MODERNIZING AFRICA’S HYDRO ASSETS THROUGH INNOVATIVE FINANCING

As Africa accelerates its transition to a low-carbon energy future, hydropower is being reimagined for climate resilience, sustainability and scalable impact.

15:30 – 16:00

16:00 - 16:45

Hall 8

November

Tuesday This session will explore how green finance mechanisms, including green bonds, climate risk mitigation tools and ESG-focused funds, are enabling the next generation of hydropower projects across Africa. Panelists will discuss how hydropower can be designed and financed to meet the dual challenges of addressing growing energy demand and adapting to climate change. The session will also examine how new technologies, hybrid systems and financing structures are helping to de-risk hydropower investments and unlock capital for large-scale, climate-smart hydro projects

Chair: Anton Louis Olivier, Chair, International Hydropower Association

Panelists:

Josiah Brand, COO, Anzana Electric Group

Dr Tomás Matola, CEO, Hidroelétrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB)

Jonathan Berman, Managing Director, Autonomi Capital

16:45 - 17:00 Hall 8

END OF DAY ONE

November Wednesday

ARIS CONFERENCE AND MEETING ROOMS OPEN MATCHMAKING: DELEGATES TO BOOK PRIVATE ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS VIA EVENT MATCHMAKING APP

07:30 – 08:30

Matchmaking Lounge, Hall 8

ORGANISERS’ WELCOME REMARKS, Enkromelle Andrew, Chair 09:00 – 09:05 Hall 8

As Africa's energy markets liberalise, aggregators are bridging renewable supply and industrial demand by pooling demand from mines, factories and cities—unlocking scale, cutting costs and de-risking investments in wind, solar and storage. This session examines how aggregators enable bankable renewables through virtual power plants (VPPs), accelerate industrial decarbonisation, attract private capital via blended ﬁnance and corporate PPAs and shape policies for open access and wheeling. Explore how aggregation can fast track Africa’s energy transition while ensuring aﬀordability and reliability.

Chair: Brian Day, Mancom Member, South African Independent Power Producers Association (SAIPPA)

Panelists:

Ed Stumpf, Investment Director, AIIM

Jenna Harris, CEO, African Power Markets

Duncan Abel, Head of Commercial, Envusa Energy

Jason De Carteret, CEO, Solarcentury Africa

Verena Bougeant, Head of Project Development, Envusa Energy

GRID INVESTMENT 2.0: MOBILISING PRIVATE CAPITAL FOR AFRICA’S TRANSMISSION TRANSFORMATION

Africa’s energy transition cannot advance at scale without modern, interconnected grid infrastructure—yet underinvestment in transmission remains a critical bottleneck. With public budgets under strain, private capital is increasingly essential to bridge the ﬁnancing gap. This session explores emerging solutions, from innovative Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models to the $1.3 billion Regional Transmission Infrastructure Financing Facility (RTIFF) aimed at accelerating cross-border interconnectors in Southern Africa. Key themes include de-risking strategies to unlock institutional investment, regulatory enablers for bankable transmission projects and lessons from global grid-ﬁnancing successes that Africa can adapt.

09:50 – 10:45

Hall 8

Chair: Matthew le Cordeur, Research Manager: Just Energy Transition, Krutham

Panelists:

Rory Ord, Head of Private Markets, 27four

Johann Bester, General Manager: Power and Infrastructure, Thebe Investment Corporation

James Mackay, CEO, Energy Council of South Africa

Shaheed Alli, Head: Project Development Support Unit, Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

Ntombizethu Diko, Manager: Energy and Environment, Business Unity South Africa

DERS AS GRID GAME-CHANGERS: REWRITING AFRICA’S ENERGY RULEBOOK

Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) are no longer on the sidelines—they are redefining how power systems operate across Africa. As utilities confront ageing infrastructure, rising demand and supply gaps, DERs offer a flexible, scalable path forward. This session explores how DERs—ranging from rooftop solar and battery storage to flexible load management—are shifting market dynamics, challenging legacy grid models and unlocking new value streams for utilities, regulators and investors. Discussions will highlight emerging regulatory reforms, grid-integration innovations and business models that position DERs at the heart of Africa’s energy transition..

Chair: Frank Spencer, Consultant, Meridian Economics

Panelists:

Sarah Malm, Executive Director, GOGLA

Sumaya Mahomed, Utilities Innovation & Uganda Country Director, Power for All Zvikomborero Garahwa, Head of Engineering, Matla Energy Nonjabulo Sokhela, CEO, Nepoworx Garth Greubel, Advisor – Trading and Operations (South Africa),

– 12:00

AFRICA RENEWABLES MARKETPLACE AND MATCHMAKING

FROM DIESEL TO DECARBONISED: THE BUSINESS CASE FOR RENEWABLES IN AFRICAN MINING

Africa’s mining sector is at an energy crossroads. With diesel costs soaring, ESG pressures intensifying and unreliable grid access threatening productivity, renewables offer a lifeline. But how can mines transition at scale—and profitably? This session explores the evolving business case for solar, wind and battery storage in mining, highlighting how these technologies are cutting energy costs, reducing emissions and boosting energy resilience across Africa’s mining landscapes. Experts will unpack practical financing models—from PPAs and embedded generation to hybrid ownership structures—as well as the regulatory shifts and strategic partnerships driving adoption. From majors to mid-tier players, this session offers a roadmap for how renewables can enable mining companies to decarbonise and stay competitive.

Chair: Koketso Lediga, Co-founder and Lead Legal Consultant, Infra-Afrika Advisory; VP, Renewable Energy Committee, Central Africa Business Energy Forum 14:00 – 14:45 Hall 8 12:00 - 12:3 Hall 8

November Wednesday

Panellists:

Matthew Silvester, Managing Director, Coeng Power Technologies

Mamusa Mabodi, Project Manager: New Markets and Technology, SA: Central Energy Fund

Prakashim Moodliar, Executive Head of Projects & Environment, Valterra Platinum

BEYOND THE GUSTS: MAKING AFRICA’S WIND POWER BANKABLE THROUGH POLICY INNOVATION AND SCALABLE PROJECTS

Africa’s wind power potential is vast, but the path from resource to reality remains turbulent. Despite a pipeline exceeding 80 GW, only a small fraction has materialised—due largely to unbankable project structures, regulatory uncertainty and limited grid infrastructure. This session explores how the continent can shift from promise to progress by making wind energy truly investable. Experts will unpack policy innovations that accelerate permitting and procurement, showcase scalable project models that attract private capital and highlight the role of domestic manufacturing and local skills development in reducing project costs and increasing investor confidence. From unlocking concessional finance to strengthening power offtake arrangements, this session offers a blueprint for transforming Africa’s wind into a bankable, deployable energy solution..

Chair: Karen Breytenbach, Independent Consultant

Panelists:

Hebren James, Director Business Development, Goldwind Africa

Peter Venn, CEO, Seriti Green

Johannes Lange, Business Development Director, GEO-NET

12:15 – 13:00

Hall 8

Chanda Nxumalo, Managing Director, Harmattan Renewables 14:45 – 15:30 Hall 8

CHARGING AFRICA'S E-MOBILITY FUTURE: FINANCING, INFRASTRUCTURE AND POLICY PATHWAYS

Africa’s electric mobility sector is at a tipping point. Soaring fuel costs, booming urban populations and global decarbonization pressures are driving demand—yet scaling EVs beyond early adopters requires smart capital, adaptive policies and infrastructure built for African realities. This session cuts through the hype to examine what’s working and where the gaps remain. We will explore why two and three-wheelers are leading the charge, and how business models like battery-as-a-service, leasing and fleet electrification are unlocking returns on investment. Additionally, we’ll showcase case studies of de-risked investments in charging networks and local assembly and examine the role of policy levers—from Rwanda’s tax incentives to South Africa’s auto industry transition—in inspiring investor confidence. Finally, we’ll discuss how integrating renewable energy, such as solar-powered charging and vehicle-to-grid solutions, can boost long-term viability.

Chair: Nick Singh, Head of Smart Grids Centre of Excellence & Microgrids Programme Director, Eskom

November

Wednesday

Panelists:

Puleng Pitso, Investment Specialist, NinetyOne

Yolanda Mabuto, Managing Director, Divaine Growth Solutions; Secretary General, BRICS Energy, Green Economy & Climate

Hiten Parmar, Executive Director, The Electric Mission

Matthew Cullinan, CEO, Atlantis Special Economic Zone (ASEZ)

Azminah Mayet, Associate, The Carbon Trust

12:15 – 13:00 Hall 8

Partnership, Sponsorship & Exhibition: Munyaradzi Jani (Munya) - Executive Director, RenewAfrica.Biz

Tel: +27 87 802 9886

Cell: +27 72 251 3733 munya@invest-renewables.africa

Speaking & Programme: Ros Hinchcliﬀe (Head of Operations)

Tel: +27 76 212 9387 ros@invest-renewables.africa

Marketing & Media Partnerships: info@invest-renewables.africa