During this episode I spoke to Princess Mthombeni, former advisor to the South African government, nuclear technology advocate and communication specialist. Princess is a regular at high-profile global events such as UN Climate Change Conferences, various International Atomic Energy Agency working formats, the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum Conference and International Atom Expo. She is also the founder of the NGO Africa4Nuclear.

During our discussion, Princess and I spoke about South Africa’s current energy struggles, what some are calling the the make-or-break moment as the country’s leadership consider declaring a national state of disaster. We spoke about the 205 days of blackouts in 2022, root causes and Africa’s energy independence and sovereignty. 

Timecodes:

 2:24 An overview of the current energy crisis in South Africa 

4:18 Changes in the work of the state owned power utility Eskom and how they’re relevant to the crisis

5:21 What is load-shedding?

7:03 How South Africa’s situation compares to other countries of the region 

9:30 Why it isn't fair to expect green energy from a continent in the midst of an energy crisis

11:44 The link between energy security and geopolitical independence 

13:21 The importance of communication and information campaigns when it comes to nuclear in Africa 

15:13 The past 10 years of South Africa’s nuclear journey 

19:57 The root causes of Africa’s energy struggles 

22:00 How to work with concern over political risks when it comes to nuclear 

23:36 Ways the South African governments energy stance is changing 

25:43 The perception of Russian nuclear technology in Africa 

29:21 Do good relations between South Africa and Russia actually affect business decisions?

30:40 The importance of Africa having its own nuclear medicine hubs 

 33:05 Princy’s vision for the future of Africa