Tumi Mogoera, Mzansi Energy Consortium Marketing & Sustainability Services Director
Sustainable Energy: Project Host Community Engagement Success Defines IPP Project Success
When it comes to sustainable energy projects like Mzansi Energy Consortium’s (MEC) 12-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Palabora Mining Company (PMC), true progress is not only measured in green megawatts delivered, energy savings or profits created. Not even job creation is enough to claim success. Real success is measured in the extent of a community’s sustained transformation. That means lives changed, skills built, opportunities created, and futures brightened. In MEC’s view, a project’s success can only be defined by the shared success of the community that hosts it.
As South Africa’s renewable energy landscape evolves, Independent Power Producers (IPPs) are under increasing scrutiny to go beyond compliance. Lobby groups, regulators, banking institutions and consulting firms such as NERSA, IDC, the Energy Intensive Users Group of Southern Africa and INSPIRE (Initiative for Social Performance in Renewable Energy) have called for deeper accountability, urging developers to deliver tangible and lasting socio-economic value rather than “soft issue” tokenism.
Multifaceted socio-economic impact
Mzansi Energy Consortium has taken this challenge to heart. For the 132MWp Solar PV Plant and 320MWh Battery Energy Storage System under development near Ba-Phalaborwa, MEC has designed a socio-economic development strategy that is as comprehensive as its technical solution.
“Our responsibility is not just to generate energy but to generate long-term sustainable value,” says Tumi Mogoera, MEC Marketing & Sustainability Services Director. “That means, while we know there is no crystal ball for socio-economic development, we have a mandate to listen carefully to our project host communities, addressing their economic, social and environmental priorities, and creating a balance of power that ensures they grow as we grow.”
All Angles: A Six-Pillar Model for Shared Prosperity
MEC’s socio-economic development framework covers six integrated pillars:
- Economic Ownership: The Ba-Phalaborwa Community Trust proposal ensures local equity participation.
- Enterprise Development: Local SMMEs are engaged through the MEC SMME Business Forum, modelled on inclusive public-sector frameworks.
- Procurement Spend: Local procurement and transparent supply chain participation strengthen the rural and township economy.
- Green Jobs Creation: Partnerships with the Limpopo Economic Development, Environment and Tourism Department (LEDET) to drive sustainable employment in clean energy locally.
- Accelerated Skills Development: Technical and vocational programmes are being developed to align local skills with emerging green economy roles.
- Social Infrastructure: Projects such as agrivoltics, street lighting and road upgrades along the R71 are improving sustainable life, safety and accessibility between Ba-Phalaborwa’s rural areas, townships and economic centres.
This multi-sensory, “All Angles” approach ensures balance across short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes – from immediate job creation from project feasibility development; during construction and operations to lasting improvements in equity participation, local enterprise capacity, and community wellbeing.
Balancing Accountability and Sustainability
MEC’s model also acknowledges the growing influence of lobby groups and government agencies demanding transparency, impact, and fairness in energy development. By embedding social and economic indicators – such as employment, education, and infrastructure upliftment – into its project success metrics, MEC is aligning business sustainability with social sustainability.
“Sustainability and socio-economic development are not separate ideas,” adds Tumi. “They are two sides of the same coin. Our aim is to remain on the right side of the fence – not just compliant, but committed, consistent, and credible.”
Redefining Value in South Africa’s Energy Transition
In a sector often criticised for short-termism and shallow community engagement, MEC’s holistic perspective is a reminder that energy infrastructure is more than a technical achievement – it is a social and economic contract for local people.
By defining success not by profit margins but by shared progress, Mzansi Energy Consortium is determined to follow the benchmark and transformation legacy already set by its premium customer, PMC. Working together, demonstrate socio-economic development leadership, and currency growth, to set a new standard for responsible energy development in South Africa. Because when the community succeeds, Mzansi succeeds.
About Mzansi Energy Consortium
Mzansi Energy Consortium is a leading renewable energy developer in South Africa, formed through a partnership between Summit Partners and Journey2Green. The consortium delivers bankable, technically advanced clean energy projects with a strong emphasis on socio-economic upliftment. Discover more at https://mzansi.energy/
Media Contact: Tumi Mogoera, Marketing & Sustainability Services Director, Mzansi Energy Consortium
Email: tumi@mzansi.energy
Issued by: Michelle Oelschig, Scarlet Letter
Contact details: 083-636-1766, michelle@scarletletter.co.za