WeeklySA_AdminCAPACITY: Government betting on local manufacturing, mineral beneficiation, research and skills development to secure the country’s place in the growing global electric vehicle and battery industries…
By Own Correspondent
South Africa has the resources, research capacity and industrial base to become a leading player in global electric mobility and battery value chains, says Science, Technology and Innovation Deputy Minister Dr Nomalungelo Gina.
Speaking at the 2026 uYilo e-Mobility Summit at Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha, Gina said the transition to electric mobility presented the country with an opportunity to expand local manufacturing, beneficiate its minerals and create skilled jobs.
“The question is not whether electric mobility will happen. The question is whether South Africa will capture value from it,” she said.
“We have the minerals, the research capability, the industrial base and the policy instruments needed to participate meaningfully in the green economy.”
Gina said science, technology and innovation would be central to developing a competitive local battery industry. The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation’s green transition strategy is anchored in the hydrogen and battery economies.
Through its energy-storage research, development and innovation programmes, the government is supporting technologies, intellectual property and specialised skills that could strengthen South Africa’s participation in global battery and electric vehicle supply chains.
One of the programme’s key milestones is a collaboration between the University of Limpopo and Manganese Metal Company. The partners have successfully demonstrated the pilot-scale production of battery-grade manganese sulphate using locally sourced manganese and publicly funded, locally developed intellectual property.
The project converts a South African mineral into a higher-value material used in lithium-ion battery production, supporting the country’s mineral beneficiation ambitions.
The energy-storage programme also provides specialised training across the lithium-ion battery value chain. According to Gina, it has achieved a graduate employment rate of more than 70%, with participants finding work across several industries.
“We must convert innovation into industrial participation, investment, jobs and inclusive growth,” she said.
Nelson Mandela University deputy vice-chancellor for learning and teaching Professor Muki Moeng said electric mobility formed part of South Africa’s broader just energy transition.
However, she warned that the transition would require reliable electricity, charging infrastructure, battery testing and recycling capacity, skilled workers and closer cooperation between universities, businesses and the government.
The summit, held under the theme “Accelerating Electric Mobility Implementation in South Africa: From Innovation to Industrial Participation”, showcased several locally developed products.
They included the eKamva, South Africa’s first 15-seater electric minibus taxi; the Thula, an electric game-viewing vehicle designed for silent, zero-emission wildlife safaris; and the locally produced Microcare electric vehicle charger.
EV-Fleet founder and chief executive Chris Joseph Abraham said reliable data would be essential to developing electric mobility solutions that delivered financial, environmental and technical benefits.
He said the summit brought organisations together to exchange knowledge, share data and identify partnerships capable of turning research and innovation into meaningful industrial participation. — SAnews.gov.za.
