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Directing energy transitions : the role of public procurement in South Africa’s just energy transition
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867614000088350720 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Neldje, Dingambaye Stephane |
| author2 | Davies, Megan |
| author_browse | Davies, Megan Neldje, Dingambaye Stephane |
| author_facet | Davies, Megan Neldje, Dingambaye Stephane |
| author_sort | Neldje, Dingambaye Stephane |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134736 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:45:04.096Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134736 Directing energy transitions : the role of public procurement in South Africa’s just energy transition Neldje, Dingambaye Stephane Davies, Megan Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Centre for Sustainability Transition. Energy policy -- South Africa Renewable energy sources -- Government policy -- South Africa Public procurement -- South Africa Sustainable development -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Neldje, D. S. 2025. Directing energy transitions: The role of public procurement in South Africa’s just energy transition. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/ab776aa6-2007-47fe-9efe-b652caadcbda ENGLISH SUMMARY: This thesis examines how the public procurement of renewable energy can be adapted to advance South Africa’s energy transition in alignment with principles of sustainability and energy justice. Using the REIPPPP as an in-depth case study, it investigates how a large-scale procurement mechanism has attempted to align renewable-energy deployment with broader socio-economic development imperatives and justice-oriented objectives. Situated at the intersection of the energy justice scholarship (Sovacool & Dworkin, 2015; Jenkins et al., 2016, 2021; Heffron & McCauley, 2018a), policymaking frameworks for sustainability transitions (Meadowcroft, 2009; Kivimaa & Kern, 2016; Rogge & Reichardt, 2016; Schot & Steinmueller, 2018), and the evolving field of sustainable public procurement (McCrudden, 2004; Brammer & Walker, 2011; Uehara, 2020; Uyarra et al., 2020), the research interrogates the REIPPPP’s design, implementation, and evolution across successive bidding rounds, and evaluates how the programme has shaped South Africa’s energy transition, particularly in steering it towards a more just, effective, and sustainable trajectory. Data collection combined documentary analysis, secondary quantitative sources, and eight semi-structured stakeholder interviews, analysed thematically and triangulated to test four guiding propositions and corresponding rival propositions. Findings show that although the REIPPPP catalysed South Africa’s renewable energy industry, it has not realised its full potential as a vehicle for structural transformation. Although the programme’s initial structure integrated elements of economic and energy justice goals, its developmental and justice-oriented ambitions diminished over time. Weak outcome-based metrics, limited stakeholders’ participation, lack of spatial equity provisions, and the absence of embedded learning and adaption mechanisms eroded its effectiveness. Institutional fragmentation, grid capacity constraints, and political contestation compounded these shortcomings, which ended up undermining policy directionality. Building on these findings, the study advances three sets of recommendations. The first set of recommendations suggests that policymakers should include the following elements when engaging in the policymaking process to adapt the public procurement of renewable energy under the constraints typical to national energy landscapes in the Global South: 1. Clearly defined, measurable, long-term developmental objectives; 2. Legislated institutional autonomy and mandates for procurement authorities; 3. Embedded political stewardship to sustain cross-government alignment; 4. Investment in local-level capacity building; and 5. Institutionalised feedback loops and adaptive learning. Secondly, an updated integrative framework is proposed, merging Uehara’s (2020) Sustainable Public Procurement Framework with Rogge and Reichardt’s (2016) policy process dimensions of design, implementation and lastly the element of adaptation and learning. This operationalises energy justice-oriented procurement as dynamic, context-sensitive, and capable of steering transitions towards equity and sustainability. The third set of recommendations suggest that future REIPPPP bidding rounds or energy procurement mechanisms in South Africa in general should consider: 1. Leveraging land as a strategic development asset; 2. Incentivising siting projects in marginalised areas; 3. Integrating grid investment into procurement; 4. Adopting hybrid tariffs to support community-led projects; and 5. Enforcing robust governance standards for community ownership structures. The study contributes to scholarship on procurement-led transitions in the Global South, demonstrating that public procurement can function as a directional instrument for systemic transformation if embedded in stable, adaptive, and justice-aligned institutional frameworks, offering transferable lessons for other emerging economies. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar. Masters 2026-01-06T07:17:51Z 2026-01-06T07:17:51Z 2025-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134736 Stellenbosch University 123 pages : illustrations, maps, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Energy policy -- South Africa Renewable energy sources -- Government policy -- South Africa Public procurement -- South Africa Sustainable development -- South Africa UCTD Neldje, Dingambaye Stephane Directing energy transitions : the role of public procurement in South Africa’s just energy transition |
| title | Directing energy transitions : the role of public procurement in South Africa’s just energy transition |
| title_full | Directing energy transitions : the role of public procurement in South Africa’s just energy transition |
| title_fullStr | Directing energy transitions : the role of public procurement in South Africa’s just energy transition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Directing energy transitions : the role of public procurement in South Africa’s just energy transition |
| title_short | Directing energy transitions : the role of public procurement in South Africa’s just energy transition |
| title_sort | directing energy transitions the role of public procurement in south africa s just energy transition |
| topic | Energy policy -- South Africa Renewable energy sources -- Government policy -- South Africa Public procurement -- South Africa Sustainable development -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134736 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT neldjedingambayestephane directingenergytransitionstheroleofpublicprocurementinsouthafricasjustenergytransition |