On Thursday, 29 January 2026, Eskom, the government of the Netherlands and the Mpumalanga provincial government officially launched the Grootvlei Climate Smart Horticulture Centre at the Grootvlei Power Station, marking a practical and human milestone in South Africa’s Just Energy Transition (JET). The launch showed how the transition from a high-carbon economy can be directly linked to local economic opportunity, climate-smart food production and skills development.
By Maphuti Mongatane, Business Development Manager at African Farming
Collaboration as the Engine of Transition
The partnership has been implemented under the leadership of the Enterprising Africa Regional Network (EARN), with support from the Mpumalanga Green Cluster Agency, the Seed2Feed Foundation, Holland Greentech, Ridder, Bosman Van Zaal, Van der Hoeven/Van der Straaten Acampo, Svensson and Control Union.
This collaboration brings together South African leadership and internationally recognised Dutch expertise in high-tech horticulture, efficient water use, energy-smart production systems and value-chain organisation, while keeping local implementation, ownership and long-term growth ambitions firmly rooted in Mpumalanga.
A Project Already Changing Lives
Grootvlei is already delivering outcomes. Eight community members from the Dipaleseng Local Municipality are currently being trained as greenhouse facilitators. In April 2026, 75 agripreneurs, all from the local community, will begin participating in the Agripreneur Development Programme. Each agripreneur is expected to employ members of the community, and the programme is projected to support the creation of substantial, sustainable jobs by 2030.
These are not abstract numbers. They represent households earning income, skills being transferred and communities becoming economically engaged.
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A Pilot that Shows what Repurposing can Achieve
The Centre is a pilot initiative under Eskom’s JET Programme, demonstrating how repurposed energy-related infrastructure can support future-oriented economic activity beyond the energy sector.
At this stage, the focus is deliberately practical: Training, skills development and value-chain development in climate-smart horticulture, rather than large-scale commercial production. This approach allows learning, adjustment and improvement as the model grows.
Minister Ramokgopa: Solving the Nexus of Energy, Water and Food
Delivering the keynote address, the Minister of Electricity and Energy, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, framed the Grootvlei project within a much broader national challenge – the nexus between energy, water and food.
He emphasised that the cost and availability of electricity have direct implications for food production. Electricity powers irrigation, pumping stations, equipment, processing and the journey from farm to market. When energy systems are constrained, water infrastructure becomes strained, productivity declines, supply tightens and food prices rise, placing pressure on inflation and on people’s ability to afford food.
For the Minister, this reality makes projects like Grootvlei essential. A just transition cannot disconnect people from economic life. It must create jobs, introduce new types of work and build employment capacity by bringing multiple solutions together in one place.
He cautioned that transitions must never arrive in communities and “switch off” livelihoods. Instead, they must provide opportunities now so that people can give their own testimonies of progress.
The Minister framed innovation as a continuous process of learning and improvement: Start small, learn what works, adjust what does not and improve over time. Grootvlei, as a pilot, reflects this philosophy designed to grow through learning, iteration and collaboration.
Roald Lapperre: Success Measured in People and Partnerships
Responding to questions at the launch, Roald Lapperre, the Vice Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, reinforced the long-term intent behind the partnership.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. But together, we’ll do our best to turn Grootvlei into a lasting success.”
He stressed that success should not be judged only in statistics or infrastructure, but also in economically engaged people actively participating in local markets, equipped with practical skills and connected to value chains.
He emphasised the importance of local markets, knowledge-sharing and the efficient use of resources such as water, noting that collaboration allows partners to bring the right expertise to support farmers and agripreneurs where it matters most. The Centre, he explained, is designed to connect local and international role players across agriculture, strengthening resilience and preparedness for economic and climate challenges while remaining grounded in local realities.
Looking ahead, he expressed optimism about continued collaboration and future partnerships that can further support the success of agriculture in South Africa.
An Early Example of What a Just Transition can Look Like
Eskom board chairperson Mteto Nyati described Grootvlei as an exciting early example of stakeholders coming together to develop new economic activities that protect livelihoods and local communities as South Africa moves from a high-carbon to a lower-carbon economy. He acknowledged the leadership of the Minister of Electricity and Energy as the primary convenor of JET, the significant investment by the government of the Netherlands and its partners, and the support of Mpumalanga and Dipaleseng leadership.
A Future Rooted in Place and People
Grootvlei contributes to national priorities by creating jobs, building practical skills, supporting Black Economic Empowerment through local participation and advancing South Africa’s energy transition in a way that is firmly grounded in place-based economic development.
Looking ahead, the Grootvlei Climate Smart Horticulture Centre is intended to inform the development of a broader agri-economic hub, integrating agriculture, skills development and logistics with growing private-sector participation.
Above all, the Centre reinforces a simple but powerful truth: South Africa’s energy transition is not only about changing power sources, it is also about creating new economic futures for people, land and local communities.
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