Africa could generate up to 3.3 million new direct green jobs by 2030, according to a recent report released by research firms Shortlist and FSD Africa.
The report – Forecasting Green Jobs in Africa – projects that the renewable energy sector will create two million of these positions. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa will account for more than a fifth of new jobs, with the solar power industry driving green job growth in South Africa and Kenya in particular. Up to 60% of these positions will be skilled or white-collar jobs, offering higher salaries and contributing to the growth of Africa’s middle class.
“There is a cross-sector effort across Africa to spur employment and sustainable development,” said Mark Napier, CEO of FSD Africa, adding “but stakeholders lack a shared, granular understanding of where the green jobs are going to come from.”
Investments in high-potential industries and local skill development, as well as the enactment of supportive policies, will be crucial to meeting growing demand for labor in green industries, according to the report.
