When we speak about Just Energy Transition, many of us working in development, policy and sustainability circles understand exactly what it means. We are familiar with the frameworks, the donor language, the implementation plans and the strategies proposed by the government and private sectors. However, at the community level the meaning is very different. For many families, coal is not an abstract policy conversation. Coal represents income. It is a livelihood that ensures food on the table, school fees paid and dignity preserved.
In 2024, Seriti Institute conducted a survey across the coal mining belt that reached 10 000 people. The findings were deeply concerning. 36% of respondents said they had no idea what the Just Energy Transition is, and 54% said they had heard of climate change. This is not because communities are indifferent. It is because the conversations about the transition are filled with technical language that does not relate to everyday life.
Communities are expected to understand concepts like climate mitigation and transition frameworks without being given practical context.Local organisations are left to interpret complex policy reports, often without the resources needed to translate this information into meaningful community dialogue. As a result, people are being asked to change without being told why or how.
Komati is a clear example of this challenge. The closure of the power station was presented nationally as a significant moment. On the ground, however, the picture is far more complex. Instead of long-term opportunities, there has been an influx of short-term projects that do little to create lasting livelihoods.
Through the SEF Komati project, Seriti has focused on capacitation and has supported 300 people across different areas of learning. This approach creates practical pathways for people to find new forms of work and income. It is one example of what a real transition should look like, but it is also a reminder of how much more is still required.
Information remains another major barrier. Through our partnership with C40 and Breathe Cities, Seriti Institute is working with community-based organisations to translate technical information into knowledge that people can apply in their daily lives. This work includes helping communities understand the effects of air pollution and exploring actions that can reduce these impacts. Even so, there is still a significant gap. Many solutions continue to rely on internet access, digital tools and networks that many grassroots communities do not have. If information does not reach households, people cannot participate in the transition. And if people cannot participate, the transition cannot claim to be just.
A meaningful and people-centred transition requires a shift in approach. The work must begin by explaining the reasons behind the transition. It must help communities understand how the transition affects jobs, household security and the future of their children. It must also close the distance between policy and lived experience by ensuring that the strategies created at national level can be understood and applied locally. Beyond this, the transition must create real opportunities. These include retraining, new industries, community owned initiatives and livelihoods that continue long after a coal mine has closed.
The Just Energy Transition cannot remain a theoretical concept. It must become something communities can see in their lives. It must become something that strengthens trust, creates stability and builds meaningful opportunities. A transition is only truly just when the people who are most affected become the people who are most empowered.
South Africa has a chance to build a transition that does not leave communities behind. This will only be possible if the transition begins with people rather than policy.
