Cape Town-based event and media agency VUKA Group says “business as usual” is no longer an option, commenting on this year’s Enlit Africa 2025 theme of ‘Challenge the Status Quo’.

“Industry needs to shift the conversation from theoretical to practical while focusing on actionable outcomes and developing clear insights into the next steps to bring projects to fruition or close a financing gap,” says Enlit Africa group director Chanelle Hingston.

This year’s event – to be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from May 20 to 22 – is also co-located with the inaugural Water Security Africa event, which was announced at Enlit 2024.

Hingston says the co-location of these events makes sense, given the interconnectedness of the water and energy sectors – an important consideration for Africa-based utilities and municipalities, consumers and infrastructure developers.

This year’s event will host more than 240 expert speakers and 250 exhibitors, with executives from over 72 municipalities across South Africa expected to attend.

The keynote theme for May 20 is ‘A Technology-Driven Transformation’, during which CEOs from across the continent will engage in discussions about transformative technology.

Panel discussion ‘Innovate or Stagnate’ will feature young leaders in the energy sector on May 21. The panel aims to provoke a re-evaluation of technology choices, business models and the current pace of change, amid the global power, energy and water sectors navigating yet another transition.

The discussions will not only explore the implementation of new technologies but will also challenge utilities throughout the continent to embrace the mission of building sustainable and resilient infrastructure.

This shift is essential in a world increasingly affected by extreme weather and uncertainties owing to the ongoing effects of climate change.

“Resilience and climate-adaptive infrastructure must become standard as we advance development toward 2030,” she asserts.

Tech Time

Hingston stresses that a core focus of the event will be on digitalisation, as well as an enhanced overview of the distribution grid, which, along with the implementation of technologies such as smart metering or battery energy storage, are becoming increasingly integral to utilities’ functioning.

There is a continued focus on the integration of renewable energy into the existing grid infrastructure, reflecting a resurgence in energy efficiency as a topic of importance, which is mirrored in the water sector by an increased emphasis on sustainable water use.

Hingston also notes that the ‘Project & Investment Network at Enlit Africa’ event will be launched this year to connect financiers, developers, technology providers and regulators to fuel programmes such as Mission 300, which aims to facilitate 300- million Africans “electrified” by 2030.

“It will also forge connections for projects and cross-border interconnections, which will help develop transmission and generation infrastructure,” says Hingston.

What To Watch Out For

In keeping with the theme of encouraging connections, Enlit Africa this year will include a new addition to the exhibition floor.

The Africa One-Stop Shop is a centralised hub on the exhibition floor for African investment agencies and trade officials to engage with the international business community on investment opportunities.

Hingston says the aim is to challenge the status quo by examining the “state of play” across technology, business models, financing, tariff structures and municipal sustainability, and question how this could be improved.

She says that the organiser is constantly looking for ways of encouraging more interaction between attendees and speakers, “allowing attendees to become active participants in the conversations that are shaping the future”.

Importantly, Women in Energy continues to expand and VUKA is proud of its work with several key stakeholders to expand the focus and impact of women in the energy sector.

“This year, we are speaking to the longer-term strategies to keep women engaged in the sector, tackling this from a holistic perspective and doing a deeper dive into some of the challenges that are causing women to consider alternative career options.”

She adds that VUKA also delights in the opportunity to host the financial services provider Standard Bank’s Engage networking dinner at Enlit Africa, along with solutions provider Actom’s networking function at an off-site, popular location.

As has been the case for the past few years, energy equipment manufacturing company GE Vernova will be the keynote sponsor on the first day, while global technology giant Siemens South Africa will once again be the keynote sponsor on the second day.

Off-site visits to various locations, including Koeberg nuclear power station, and the Golden Arrow electrification project, have been planned to help attendees gain first-hand insights into the future of electric public transport in South Africa.