Electricity + Control February 2017

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Editor: Wendy Izgorsek
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Ifind that many folk see their vision of the future clouded by so
much dust in the air. True, the rains have come… but the dust
has not settled. And as we watch a peculiar new world begin to
emerge, one has to wonder if the dust will ever settle.
However, through this dust, a rather interesting image of Africa is
beginning to emerge. As much of the world becomes more insular,
there is an indication that Africa is starting to speak to itself.
More than that, I suspect that there will be a number of developed
nations, watching the world move politically towards the right,
which will begin to develop strategies of working with, and to the
benefit of, Africa.
This continent is huge; it is resource-rich – and it is happening.
As fast as we seem to be seeing ‘great’ nations become more insular,
so African nations are beginning to emerge. What will characterise
that emergence?
The most significant thing that will characterise Africa for the next
50 to 100 years will be the energy landscape and rapid urbanisation.
These bring with themopportunities – opportunities to do things from
the start, to do them better than they have ever been done elsewhere.
It also brings real challenges.
Let’s be clear … fossil fuels are part of the mix, massive transmission
networks are part of the mix – and so they should be … all part of the
old world charm that lights up developing nations.
Equally, consider that you could drop the whole of France and the
whole of Germany into the gap between the major planned trans-
mission networks on this continent, and a different picture begins to
emerge – one that speaks to alternative energy sources, and all that
is good about them. With that comes a need to rethink the model of
energy consumption that has characterised the world for so long.
How exciting!
The biggest human migration in history is happening now, in Africa,
as rapid urbanisation continues. It is estimated that urbanisation will
increase up to fivefold (and even more) across huge swathes of the
continent by 2050.
Imagine the challenge – and opportunity – that this poses? Undoubt-
edly with that will have to come economic growth – which led to the
urbanisation in the first place!
Change is a good thing. But imagine how big this wave will be?
Are we up for it? And will we catch it?
Ian Jandrell
Pr Eng, BSc (Eng) GDE PhD,
FSAIEE SMIEEE
COMMENT
1 February ‘17 Electricity+Control