09 Mar Blog: Why Municipalities Need a Seat at South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Table

South Africa’s Just Energy Transition (JET) has become one of the country’s most important development priorities. The national conversation has largely focused on international climate finance, energy reforms, coal phase-down pathways, and ambitious commitments to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. These discussions are essential, but they often overlook one critical question:

Who will implement the transition where it matters most?

The answer is simple: municipalities.

As the sphere of government closest to communities, municipalities are responsible for delivering many of the services that will determine whether South Africa’s transition is not only environmentally sustainable, but also socially just and economically inclusive. From electricity distribution and infrastructure planning to local economic development, spatial planning, environmental management and community engagement, municipalities are at the heart of translating national ambition into local action. Yet despite this central role, municipalities are too often treated as implementers of national policy rather than strategic partners in shaping the country’s energy future.

Municipalities are where policy becomes reality.

National policies provide direction, but they do not build resilient infrastructure, support workers affected by economic restructuring, or engage communities on the opportunities and challenges of the transition. These responsibilities fall largely to local government. Municipalities understand the unique realities of their communities. They know which local economies are vulnerable to the transition, where infrastructure investment is most urgently needed, and how climate and energy policies intersect with everyday service delivery. This local knowledge is indispensable for ensuring that the Just Energy Transition responds to the diverse needs of South African communities rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.

For this reason, municipalities should not simply receive national directives. They should actively help shape them.

The willingness to lead already exists.

Evidence from the South African Cities Network’s pilot Just Energy Transition capacity-building programme provides an encouraging message. Municipal officials who participated in the programme reported an improved understanding of the Just Energy Transition, greater confidence in engaging in transition-related discussions, and a stronger appreciation of how the Just Energy Transition relates to their day-to-day responsibilities.

This demonstrates that municipalities are not resistant to change. On the contrary, there is a growing recognition within local government that climate action, energy transition and sustainable development are becoming core municipal responsibilities.

The enthusiasm demonstrated by municipal practitioners shows that local government is ready to engage. What many municipalities require is not motivation but sustained institutional support.

The real challenge is institutional readiness.

While the programme strengthened participants’ knowledge and confidence, it also revealed significant barriers that continue to constrain municipal implementation. Participants consistently identified challenges including fragmented governance, limited access to climate and transition finance, technical capacity shortages, financial pressures, uncertainty regarding municipal mandates, and weak coordination across spheres of government.

These are not challenges that individual municipalities can solve on their own. They require stronger partnerships among national, provincial, and local governments, clearer policy guidance, accessible financing mechanisms, and long-term investment in municipal capacity. The Just Energy Transition cannot succeed if municipalities are expected to deliver complex transformation without the institutional resources required.

Capacity-building is an investment, not an event.

One of the most important lessons emerging from the pilot programme is that capacity-building should not be viewed as a once-off training exercise. The transition will continue to evolve as technologies, regulations, financing models and governance arrangements change. Municipal officials therefore need continuous opportunities to learn, exchange experiences and build practical implementation skills.

Communities of practice, peer learning networks and ongoing professional development are just as important as formal training programmes. They enable municipalities to learn from one another, adapt successful approaches, and respond more effectively to emerging challenges. Building capable municipalities is ultimately an investment in South Africa’s long-term transition success.

A Just Energy Transition must also be a local transition

The word “just” carries particular significance.

The transition is not only about reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It is about protecting livelihoods, supporting vulnerable communities, creating new economic opportunities and ensuring that no one is left behind. Municipalities are uniquely positioned to understand these local realities because they work directly with residents, businesses and community organisations every day.

A transition designed without meaningful municipal participation risks overlooking the social and economic complexities that differ from one municipality to another. Conversely, empowering municipalities strengthens the likelihood that national ambitions will translate into practical, inclusive and locally relevant outcomes.

Moving municipalities from the margins to the centre

South Africa has made significant progress in developing national policy frameworks for the Just Energy Transition. The next step is ensuring that local government is fully integrated into the country’s transition architecture. This means involving municipalities earlier in policy development, improving access to climate finance, strengthening intergovernmental coordination, investing in institutional capacity, and recognising municipalities as strategic governance partners rather than simply delivery agents.

The Just Energy Transition will not be achieved through national policy alone. It will be realised through thousands of decisions made in municipal offices, council chambers, infrastructure projects and communities across the country. Giving municipalities a seat at the Just Energy Transition table is therefore not simply a matter of good governance; it is fundamental to building a transition that is practical, inclusive and capable of delivering meaningful change for all South Africans.

Nthabiseng Mashula, Researcher at the South African Cities Network (SACN). To contact her, email nthabiseng@sacities.net