Africa is poised to become a global leader in green hydrogen production, with projections of creating between two and four million jobs by 2050, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The South African leader made the optimistic forecast during the inaugural Africa Green Hydrogen Summit taking place from 12 to 13 June 2025 in Cape Town, under the theme, “Unlocking Africa's Green Hydrogen Potential for Sustainable Growth”.
The summit has brought together an assembly of African energy ministers, policymakers, investors, developers, technology partners, and research institutions.
Ramaphosa says the collective aim is to strategically shape the continent's nascent green hydrogen sector, unlocking its vast potential for economic growth and sustainable development.
“The alliance’s ambition targets 30 to 60 tonnes of green hydrogen production by 2050. "Now this should be a great envy by those countries that once saw Africa as a place to come and just extract minerals, and I shouldn’t say plunder,” Ramaphosa says.
The South African leader told delegates the Africa Green Hydrogen Summit will be a platform for collaboration and strategic planning, aiming to position Africa as a key player in the global green hydrogen economy.
"Green hydrogen is a way to marry Africa’s mineral riches with our renewable energy endowment to decarbonise heavy industries, to create jobs, to stimulate investment and to unlock inclusive growth across borders," says Ramaphosa.
