Nkangala District Municipality Just Transition Programme Officially Launched in Middelburg

The Nkangala District Municipality Just Transition Programme was officially launched in Middelburg on Friday, 22 May 2026, marking a significant milestone in South Africa's efforts to ensure that the shift away from coal-dependent energy is managed in a way that is just, inclusive and economically viable for one of the country's most strategically significant energy regions.

The launch was convened by the National Business Initiative (NBI), in partnership with the Nkangala District Municipality and supported by GIZ South Africa, Lesotho & eSwatini through the JUST SA programme. Government, business, development partners, state-owned enterprises and civil society came together to engage on collaborative solutions aimed at supporting long-term economic resilience and sustainable development within the district.

At its core, the Nkangala District Municipality Just Transition Programme represents what the NBI describes as a "practical and implementation-driven approach" to supporting a just, inclusive and economically viable transition. The programme is designed to deliver on the ground  within the communities, municipalities, and enterprises most exposed to the consequences of Mpumalanga's energy transition.

The programme is structured around three interconnected priorities: strengthening municipal capability, enabling investment readiness, and supporting economic diversification. Together, these pillars aim to help position Nkangala for a more resilient and sustainable future, ensuring that communities, workers and local stakeholders are genuine partners in the transition journey.

Nkangala District is the heart of South Africa's minerals-energy complex , encompassing six local municipalities and home to the bulk of the country's coal-fired power stations and mines — with roughly 80% of national coal mining concentrated in Nkangala and neighbouring Gert Sibande, which together host Eskom's coal-fired power plants and Sasol's coal-to-liquids facility in Secunda. As these stations begin retiring under the Integrated Resource Plan, the economic future of tens of thousands of workers and families hangs in the balance, made more urgent by unemployment rates already above the national average. Yet the district's industrial base, grid infrastructure, skilled workforce and location along the Maputo Development Corridor also make it well-placed to lead in agribusiness, renewable energy, eco-tourism and advanced manufacturing.

“Whether we are ready or not, the transition is already happening globally…The responsibility of leadership is to ensure that change is planned, negotiated, financed, implemented and monitored in a manner that protects people.” – Executive Mayor Honourable Cllr TD Ngwenya

Central to the programme is recognition that municipalities are not passive recipients of transition policy but rather that they are the frontline institutions through which the just transition must be delivered for the people. Nkangala's local municipalities must be empowered to plan, package and implement just transition programmes within their own Integrated Development Plans and budgetary frameworks.

The NBI, as one of JUST SA's key consortium partners, brings to this work its expertise in bridging business and government through collaborative action. Strengthening the capacity of Nkangala's municipal officials to engage with just transition planning, green economy opportunities, and investment facilitation is a foundational element of the programme's design.

“This is not merely another event. It represents the beginning of a coordinated, district-wide implementation process.” – Municipal Manager Mr ML Mahlangu

The programme also focuses on enabling investment readiness across the district, ensuring that opportunities for green economic development are bankable, well-packaged and accessible to investors. This is a critical gap: even where investment interest exists, projects in coal-affected communities often fail to attract capital due to inadequate project preparation, weak institutional frameworks, or a lack of technical expertise.

By working alongside municipal government, the private sector and development finance partners, the programme aims to close this gap by building the pipelines of investment-ready projects that can attract both domestic and international capital toward Nkangala's green economic future.

The launch in Middelburg was, above all, a demonstration of the f multi-stakeholder collaboration that a just transition requires. No single actor can manage this transition alone. The gathering of government, SOEs, business and civil society around a common programme signals both the urgency and the shared commitment that Nkangala's communities deserve.

As the NBI has articulated, the aim is not only to avoid the worst consequences of the energy transition for Nkangala's residents - it is to actively position the district for a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive economic future. With the programme now formally launched, that work begins in earnest.