JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Private sector investment in renewable energy and enterprise development has been highlighted by Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu in his State of the Province Address.

Seriti Green was cited as an example of how energy infrastructure investment can support economic diversification, job creation and local business participation in South Africa’s coal-producing heartland.

Delivering the address to the provincial legislature on Wednesday, Premier Ndlovu stressed the importance of collaboration between government, industry and civil society in addressing structural economic challenges.

Ndlovu made the point that solving problems including unemployment, poverty and inequality required a collaborative, all-hands-on-deck approach by government, the private sector, labour and civil society.

Noting Seriti Green’s alignment with provincial priorities, he highlighted the company’s structured entrepreneur programmes that were designed to catalyse sustainable job creation and broaden economic participation.

Seriti’s Agri for Change programme, which supports emerging agricultural entrepreneurs with technical expertise, business development skills and improved market access, has contributed to 41 permanent agricultural jobs and enabled measurable entrepreneurial growth.

“Seriti and Seriti Green are advancing South Africa’s Just Energy Transition through a delivery-focused model rooted in South African ownership, capital and operational capability,” the Premier noted.

“To safeguard energy security, coal and renewable energy sources are being developed in parallel. This approach enables decarbonisation, creates new economic opportunities and jobs, and ensures continuity for communities historically dependent on coal.”

A key project cited in the address was the Ummbila Emoyeni renewable power development, currently under construction in the Gert Sibande district. Seriti Green, the renewable energy arm of the Seriti Group, is currently constructing the 900 MW Ummbila Emoyeni wind and solar farm, with the first 155 MW phase scheduled for completion in mid-2026. Investment to date totals R15-billion, with a further R25-billion planned over the next two years.

More than 1 700 jobs have been created, with 53% allocated to local residents within a 15 km radius.

Seriti Green CEO Peter Venn pointed out that the development of projects such as Ummbila Emoyeni depended on collaboration between communities, local contractors and infrastructure investors.

“Projects like Ummbila Emoyeni are not only about generating renewable energy. They are about building capability in the places where we work. Companies like Freddy Mkhwanazi’s demonstrate what is possible when local entrepreneurs are able to participate in the construction of world-class infrastructure.”

For Mpumalanga, where the Just Energy Transition is unfolding alongside the continued importance of coal mining and power generation, developments of this scale are increasingly viewed as mechanisms to support economic diversification while maintaining regional stability.