Enabel organises high-level event on energy investments in Africa

How can European institutions, organisations and agencies from EU member states and the business community join forces to enable impactful investments in Africa’s green energy transition?

That is the key question at the high-level event organised by Belgian international cooperation agency Enabel and Swedish agency Sida on Wednesday 8 October in Brussels, on the eve of the European Commission’s Global Gateway Forum on 9 and 10 October.

Representatives from European agencies, the European Commission, top executives from large and smaller European companies and business associations, international and financial institutions* will come to share their experience and seek solutions to the barriers to energy investment in Africa.

Investment in renewable energy offers great socio-economic opportunities. Africa’s energy sector has the potential to spur economic growth and job creation, but currently the continent attracts only 2% of global green energy investment. However, Africa is determined to increase that percentage to 20% by 2030, as set out by the African Union in the Addis Ababa Declaration adopted at the second African Climate Summit in September 2025.

Globally, more and more people have access to electricity, but there is still work to be done in a number of African countries. It is proving very difficult to reach unconnected populations because they live in remote areas and have low incomes. Under the current scenario, 660 million people in sub-Saharan Africa will still be without electricity by 2030, many of them in rural areas.

“Energy demand in Africa will increase dramatically in the coming years due to population growth, rising living standards and industrialisation,” says Jean Van Wetter, CEO of Enabel. “Together with our European partners in the Practitioners’ Network and the private sector, we need to ensure that this energy transition is climate-friendly and sustainable. The EU’s Global Gateway is the guiding strategy for this, and coordinated action between European and international players is essential.”

* John Cockerill, Ignite Energy Access, Siemens Energy Sweden, Themis Lex, Port of Rotterdam, ABC Contracting S.A., ENERTRAG SE, Verbund, South Pole (Carbon), GreenPlug, Stantec, JLA Hydro, FAM AB, Incofin Investment Management, Zhero, Gaia Impact, Technital, Vyncke, , ADA (Austria), AICS (Italy), CFCA (Latvia), Agence française de développement, Expertise France, FIAP (Spain), GIZ (Germany), Hungary Helps, LuxDev, Sida (Sweden), SNV (Netherlands), Solidarity Fund Poland, UK FCDO, British Council, MFA Netherlands, European Commission, European Investment Bank, European Business Council for Africa and the Mediterranean, European Business Organisation, Alliance for Rural Electrification, Solar Power Europe, Global Off-Grid Lighting Association, Business Sweden – The Swedish Trade & Invest Council, Brussels Africa Hub, IDAE, EDFI, MC ElectriFI, BIO, Invest International, IFC