South Africa’s wind energy boom faces major skills shortage as 44GW target looms

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12-01-2026
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Cape Business News
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SOUTH Africa’s renewable energy transition is gaining momentum, but a critical challenge is emerging: whether the country can develop enough skilled workers to build, operate and maintain the next wave of large-scale wind projects.

At last year’s Windaba conference, industry leaders warned that skills development must move in parallel with procurement if South Africa hopes to meet the Draft IRP 2025 renewable energy targets. These targets are key to unlocking project finance and attracting local and global investment – capital the country risks losing to more agile markets.

Recurring delays in REIPPPP Bid Windows, particularly BW5 and BW6, have slowed financial closes and created uncertainty among developers. Meanwhile, countries like Morocco, Egypt and Kenya are drawing increased investor interest thanks to clearer procurement frameworks and policy consistency. Although South Africa leads the continent in installed wind capacity, it continues to lag in stable procurement timelines and long-term policy certainty.

Ambitious targets, limited workforce

The Draft IRP 2025 outlines an ambitious goal of adding 44.7GW of new wind capacity by 2042. But turning this ambition into operational projects requires a large and highly trained workforce.

Deputy Minister of Energy and Electricity, Samantha Graham-Maré, reminded delegates that the “energy transition isn’t only about technology and megawatts but about people.” The sector will need technicians, engineers, grid specialists and operations staff at a scale the country has never previously attempted.

While Windaba discussions centred on procurement certainty, grid reform and offshore wind, the skills gap remains a growing concern for developers preparing for the next round of projects.

Saretec: Building skills, but capacity is still too small

The South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (SARETEC) remains the leading institution for renewable energy skills development and is widely seen as essential to closing South Africa’s widening skills gap.

In a 2016 report, SARETEC announced the selection of the first 11 candidates for its Wind Turbine Service Technician (WTST) programme – an important milestone in specialised skills development for the sector.

SARETEC’s model, combining hands-on technical training with classroom learning, continues to produce work-ready graduates with the industry exposure, networks and competencies needed in modern wind energy operations.

According to Willie van Niekerk, General Manager of Globeleq South Africa Management Services, their partnership with SARETEC is the kind of collaboration required to strengthen the sector. 

The programme equips graduates with accredited, industry-aligned qualifications and valuable real-world experience, making them immediately employable.

As demand rises for wind turbine technicians, such partnerships will be critical. Industry experts argue that scaling similar programmes, with stronger coordination between government, Eskom, developers, financiers and training centres, is vital to avoid capacity shortages and to support increasing procurement activity. Expanded training initiatives could also help address South Africa’s high graduate unemployment rate, providing broader socio-economic benefits.

Offshore wind: South Africa’s next skills frontier

One of the strongest talking points at Windaba was offshore wind, a sector that brings both massive potential and complex skills requirements.

Siyabonga Zondi, project manager of renewable energy at the Department of Electricity and Energy, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to developing an offshore wind industry, even though the official Offshore Wind Roadmap is still awaited.

Offshore wind demands highly specialised capabilities—floating structures, subsea cabling, marine operations, vessel management and maintenance in harsh ocean environments. Stakeholders stressed the need to begin preparing the workforce now, well before procurement, to avoid reliance on imported expertise.

Highlighting offshore wind as a “transformative opportunity,” Joong-Jung Sung of the World Bank pointed to more than US$3 billion already committed to broader energy reforms.

Skills must be at the centre of the energy transition

Windaba concluded on a note of optimism, but the core message was unmistakable: South Africa’s wind energy future depends on urgent, large-scale investment in skills development.

Institutions like SARETEC are well-positioned to anchor this expansion, but industry-wide coordination will be essential.