South Africa is pressing for faster delivery of green hydrogen projects, shifting the focus from planning to large-scale energy production, Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Nomalungelo Gina said at the 8th Hydrogen Energy Ministerial Meeting in Japan.
From policy to pilots and industrial promise
Gina framed a hydrogen-based economy as a vehicle to leverage South Africa’s mineral resources to support industrialisation, decarbonisation, energy security, regional competitiveness and job creation. She said government sees the hydrogen sector as central to a just energy transition that also delivers inclusive economic growth.
Referencing long-standing national objectives, Gina recalled President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2019 State of the Nation Address on increasing renewable and clean energy, and his call at the 2025 Africa Green Hydrogen Summit to move “from PowerPoint to Gigawatts”. The deputy minister said that call underpins the government’s commitment to advance hydrogen projects beyond plans and presentations and towards large-scale production.
“We also recognise the potential of the hydrogen economy to play a catalytic role in our country’s just energy transition and simultaneously stimulate meaningful and inclusive economic growth,”
Local technology and pilot initiatives
Gina highlighted initiatives that aim to demonstrate practical steps towards an integrated hydrogen value chain. Among them is a Mobile Hydrogen Refuelling Station developed by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation in partnership with North West University and Toyota South Africa Motors. The project is presented as a milestone for hydrogen mobility in South Africa.
She also noted collaboration between the department, North West University and African Rainbow Minerals, signalling partnerships that combine academic research, private-sector participation and government support.
- Mobile Hydrogen Refuelling Station – Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, North West University and Toyota South Africa Motors.
- University–industry partnerships – collaboration with North West University and African Rainbow Minerals to advance hydrogen innovation.
- Policy direction – sustained push to translate national commitments into gigawatt-scale projects.
Why this matters for South Africa
The deputy minister linked hydrogen to several national priorities. If local projects scale, hydrogen could:
- support industrialisation by using domestic mineral resources in value chains;
- contribute to decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors and transport;
- improve energy security by diversifying the national energy mix; and
- create jobs through new industrial activity and supply-chain development.
At the ministerial meeting, Gina urged using collective resources and expertise to build resilient regional value chains, drive industrialisation and create sustainable prosperity. The emphasis on pilot projects such as the mobile refuelling station underlines a practical approach: demonstrating technology in local conditions before scaling to larger facilities.
| Area | Illustrative action cited |
|---|---|
| Mobility | Mobile Hydrogen Refuelling Station (Department, North West University, Toyota SA Motors) |
| Industry partnerships | Collaboration with North West University and African Rainbow Minerals |
| Policy momentum | Drive to move from plans to gigawatt-scale projects |
While the deputy minister reiterated strategic intentions, the next steps remain practical: securing investment, building demonstration projects that can be scaled, and embedding local partners in supply chains. Progress will depend on sustained coordination between national departments, universities, mining and manufacturing partners, and external investors and technology providers.
For South Africans watching the energy transition closely, the message from the ministerial meeting is clear: hydrogen is being positioned not just as a policy aspiration but as a field for tangible pilots that could evolve into larger industrial projects — provided the country can translate demonstrations into financing, industrial capacity and sustained production at scale.
