Demistifying employment in South Africa's Just Energy Transition: Exploring emerging decent work themes

Demistifying employment in South Africa's Just Energy Transition: Exploring emerging decent work themes

Author: 
Mohlakoana, Nthabiseng
Place: 
Oxon
Publisher: 
Taylor and Francis
Date published: 
2024
Record type: 
Responsibility: 
Rathupetsane, Alboricah, jt. author
Malope, Boitumelo, jt. author
Jacob, Merin, jt. author
Journal Title: 
Development Southern Africa
Source: 
Development Southern Africa, Vol. 41 No. 3, 2024 pp. 649-665
ISSN: 
Print: 0376-835X; Online: 1470-3637
Abstract: 

The South African energy sector is faced with competing priorities concerned with ensuring environmental sustainability, energy security, and balancing its citizens' socio-economic needs. The decarbonisation agenda has put a spotlight on the quality of jobs in the energy sector, particularly those in the coal value chain. This paper aims to bring some focus to the subject of decent work as per the International Labour Organisation's definition and highlights the emerging themes in the South African energy sector. Our research shows that, although the country is on the path to decarbonisation, a clear definition of a job and decent work is needed. We show that if the country is to depend on the Renewable Energy industry, it is imperative to ensure that this industry has the capacity to provide the necessary skills and training to its new workforce and provide fair and just working conditions that would lead to decent work.

Language: 
Country focus: 

CITATION: Mohlakoana, Nthabiseng. Demistifying employment in South Africa's Just Energy Transition: Exploring emerging decent work themes . Oxon : Taylor and Francis , 2024. Development Southern Africa, Vol. 41 No. 3, 2024 pp. 649-665 - Available at: https://library.au.int/demistifying-employment-south-africas-just-energy-transition-exploring-emerging-decent-work-themes