Hangzhou, China – April 18, 2025 Development Reimagined, in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) ITPO Beijing, successfully convened the China-Africa Energy Dialogue: Africa’s Energy Transition and Sustainable Development in Hangzhou on April 18, 2025.
The event brought together over 40 participants, including African diplomats, Chinese renewable energy companies, industry associations, local investment promotion bureaus from Hangzhou, commercial banks, and think tanks. This Dialogue provided a timely platform to deepen China-Africa clean energy cooperation, building on the momentum of the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the newly launched 2025-2027 Beijing Action Plan.
A special address by H.E. Ms. Nomsa Daphne Mlotshwa, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Botswana in China, reaffirmed Botswana’s ambition to install 8 GW of new renewable energy capacity by 2028 and promote regional power trade within Southern Africa. Field insights were shared from Botswana, Zambia, Togo, Guinea, and Senegal, highlighting investment opportunities and challenges and policy priorities of renewable energy and local environmental goods manufacturing.
Development Reimagined’s Climate Action Specialist, Ms. Yunong Wu, presented findings from recent field missions in Botswana and Zambia, where she assessed clean energy project pipelines, infrastructure gaps, and successful cases of environmental goods local manufacturing. She also provided an overview of China’s current renewable energy and related manufacturing investment landscape in Africa, as a reference for potential investors and developers to step in.
A dynamic roundtable dialogue featured stakeholders from the Embassy of Botswana, China Photovoltaic Industry Association, China-Africa Business Council, ALILY Energy, and Sino-Africa Bridge, addressing opportunities for renewable energy project development and local environmental good manufacturing, as well as the financing solutions available for upcoming investors.
Refining with field insights, the Dialogue reached a strong consensus on the critical importance of scaling up clean energy deployment and stabilizing electricity supply across the continent — particularly in regions such as SADC, where energy deficits are causing significant economic losses. Participants emphasised that localising environmental goods manufacturing is vital for job creation, industrial resilience, and long-term sustainable growth.
The discussions also called for the adoption of blended financing models, public-private partnerships, and enabling regulatory frameworks to unlock greater international investment in Africa’s renewable energy infrastructure. Furthermore, stakeholders underscored the importance of strengthening dialogue platforms and project-matching mechanisms to transform emerging opportunities into practical, investable collaborations. The Dialogue reaffirmed Development Reimagined’s
commitment to supporting inclusive, African-led green development and facilitating impactful China-Africa partnerships for a more sustainable and resilient energy future.
In 2025, the Development Reimagined Climate Team plans to host a series of events under the theme “The Green Catalyst Series: Investing in Africa’s Sustainable Growth” This is the first event in the series, with more to follow in other cities across China throughout the year. Stay tuned!
For media inquiries, please contact: Yike Fu, Climate Program Manager, Development Reimagined yikefu@developmentreimagined.com
