Cape Town: The African Energy Commission (AFREC) has concluded a three-day technical training workshop in South Africa aimed at enhancing the country's capacity to compile and manage comprehensive national energy statistics, a significant step toward strengthening energy data management in Southern Africa.
According to African Press Organization, the training, held from 30 July to 1 August 2025, targeted national focal points and key stakeholders in South Africa's energy and environmental sectors, including representatives from the Department of Electricity and Energy (DEE), the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE). Of the 20 participants, 12 were women, underlining a gender-inclusive approach to capacity building.
The workshop focused on the Energy Balance Questionnaire—one of AFREC's four core data collection tools, along with others on energy efficiency, prices and taxes, and power plant capacity—critical for developing accurate national energy balances and feeding into the continental Africa Energy Information System (AEIS). The initiative is part of AFREC's broader strategy to support African Union member states in building and maintaining National Energy Information Systems (NEIS) that inform policy and planning at both national and continental levels.
The workshop highlights growing regional cooperation around energy statistics, in support of Africa's broader goals for sustainable development, carbon emissions tracking, and energy security.