Earlier this year, the second cohort of the Africa Minigrids Program (AMP) Capacity Building Program on Community Minigrid Development kicked off in Eswatini, attracting participants from across the region. Implemented by the University of Eswatini Centre for Sustainable Energy Research on behalf of AMP, the six-week program equips participants with both theoretical and practical skills in solar minigrid development—from technical design and financing models to regulatory frameworks and community engagement.
Following a call for applications in December 2025, the course received 665 applications from Eswatini and 26 other countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, Namibia, Uganda, Cameroon, Somalia, and Mozambique. The strong response highlights a growing continental interest in decentralized, community-focused energy solutions and signals that solar minigrids are increasingly recognized as scalable, inclusive, and bankable solutions for rural electrification.
Building More Than Technical Skills
Cohort 2 brings together a diverse group of professionals (entrepreneurs, regulators, engineers, financiers, and development practitioners) creating a dynamic learning environment that mirrors the real-world minigrid ecosystem.
Some participants shared their experiences with the program. Patience Matsebula, Managing Director of Clamore Solar, reflected on her growth:
“I took up the Minigrids Capacity Building Program because I wanted to equip myself with deeper knowledge on solar minigrids. While I understood the business models and economic dynamics of solar technologies, this training has now equipped me with strong technical knowledge. As a woman in the renewables space, I now have a greater understanding of how solar systems function beyond the boardroom.”
Her experience highlights the program’s holistic design, which bridges finance, business, and engineering.
The financial sector is also represented in Cohort 2, with three officers from Eswatini Development Finance Institution (FINCORP) participating. Their enrollment reflects growing institutional commitment to renewable energy financing, as technical insight is critical to assessing project viability and managing risk.
Vezokuhle Nhleko, Credit Officer, Monitoring at FINCORP, explained:
“My role as a loan credit officer entails assessing clients’ loan applications and evaluating repayment capacity. Therefore, before taking up this course, I largely relied on information provided by applicants when it came to solar energy loan applications. The AMP Minigrids Capacity Building Program has thereby enhanced my understanding of renewable energy financing, licensing procedures, and regulatory frameworks governing solar minigrids—knowledge that will strengthen how I assess clean energy applications going forward. I also believe that this training program will broadly influence how our organisation views clean energy investments in the future.”
Thandekile Dlamini, Credit Officer, Monitoring from FINCORP added:
“The AMP Capacity Building Program is such a refreshing course, which has enlightened me on how minigrids work, with robust outlines of PV system design. So far, a module that has stood out for me is Productive Uses of Energy, which has shown how communities can benefit economically through SMEs powered by minigrids. I am grateful to AMP for opening this learning opportunity for us.”
Renewable energy advocates also value the program. Bongiwe Tsabedze, Marketing Officer from the Renewable Energy Association of Eswatini (REAESWA) commented:
“Clean energy technologies have emerged as sustainable sources that can power cities and reach the furthest last-mile communities in Eswatini. Hence, this training allowed me to explore those possibilities through practical experiences with knowledgeable instructors and passionate colleagues. Renewable energy is the future, and embracing it through capacity building is my way of contributing to Eswatini’s Climate Promise.”
Her words capture the broader ambition of the program: building not only skills but conviction, confidence, and leadership among professionals across sectors.
A Signal of Africa’s Energy Transition
As Eswatini strengthens its role in regional renewable energy development, initiatives like the AMP Capacity Building Program are laying the groundwork for a skilled workforce capable of driving Africa’s Just Energy Transition. By combining gender inclusion, youth empowerment, regional participation, and cross-sector collaboration, Cohort 2 reflects what the future of energy leadership should look like: diverse, technically grounded, and community-focused.
With training underway, the message is clear: Africa’s energy transition is no longer a distant aspiration. It is being built skill by skill, professional by professional.
The course is implemented by the University of Eswatini’s (UNESWA) Centre for Sustainable Energy Research (CSER) on behalf of AMP, led by UNDP with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
