Vodacom Group has released a new whitepaper, titled Decarbonising Africa’s ICT Sector.
The report contributes insights into one of Africa’s fastest growing sectors, where expanding digital and network infrastructure brings growing energy demands and is navigating the complexities of decarbonisation while continuing to support economic and social development.
“Decarbonisation in Africa cannot be approached in isolation or through a single sector lens,” said Ayman Essam, Chief Officer: External Affairs, Vodacom Group. “While we have set an ambition to work towards net zero emissions, progress depends on systemic change across the energy ecosystem. This includes policies that enable private sector participation, new financing models and partnerships that can scale renewable energy solutions beyond individual organisations.”
The research highlights that while Africa remains highly vulnerable to climate change, it faces critical energy challenges that hamper decarbonisation efforts. Weak grid infrastructure, financial constraints within utilities, complex regulatory environments and unreliable electricity supply continue to slow the adoption of renewable energy across the continent. This has led many sectors, including telecommunications, to rely heavily on carbon-intensive diesel generators to power operations.
To address these barriers, the whitepaper outlines several practical solutions that could help accelerate decarbonisation across the ICT sector. These include energy sector reforms that enable greater private sector participation, renewable energy procurement mechanisms such as power purchase agreements (PPAs) and the expansion of decentralised energy solutions, including mini-grids, to power remote mobile network base stations.
