The African Union Fee (AUC) concluded the Fifth Atypical Session of the Specialised Technical Committee on Transport and Vitality (STC-T&E) at present in Johannesburg, bringing collectively Ministers and specialists from throughout the continent to speed up infrastructure integration and handle crucial challenges in Africa’s transport and power sectors.
The four-day session, hosted by the Republic of South Africa from 27-30 April 2026, reviewed progress on continental initiatives together with the Programme for Infrastructure Improvement in Africa (PIDA), the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), the African Single Electrical energy Market (AfSEM), and the Grand Inga Hydropower Venture. Ministers supplied strategic steerage on precedence programmes and elected a brand new Bureau to steer the Committee’s work for the following two years.
In a defining second for the worldwide financial system marked by structural volatility, fragmentation, and compounding shocks, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Vitality on the African Union Fee, Ms. Lorato Mataboge emphasised that Africa faces challenges on its infrastructure and power sectors, together with rising gas prices, inflationary strains, and constrained fiscal house exacerbated by common continental debt ranges of 64% of GDP. She famous that the continent’s infrastructure deficit reduces GDP development by as much as 2% yearly and productiveness losses as excessive as 40%, with transport prices as much as 175% increased than different areas, whereas 600 million Africans lack electrical energy and practically 1 billion lack clear cooking options. Regardless of these challenges.
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Regardless of these challenges, the Commissioner highlighted that Africa’s elementary problem “will not be useful resource shortage, however structural dependence,” noting that the continent possesses 125 billion barrels of oil reserves, 18 trillion cubic meters of pure fuel, as much as 40 % of worldwide renewable power potential, and ample crucial minerals, sources that may drive financial transformation if backed by sufficient infrastructure.
Commissioner Mataboge burdened that the African Union’s Specialised Technical Committee on Transport and Vitality is the continent’s principal ministerial decision-making physique, performing as a bridge between technique and execution to allow collective, decisive motion. “This STC will not be merely a convening platform. It’s the continent’s principal ministerial decision-making organ… In a world of accelerating fragmentation, this STC represents Africa’s collective instrument for coherence, alignment, and decisive motion,” she stated. She referred to as for elevated infrastructure funding to at the very least 4.5% of GDP, stronger non-public capital mobilization, regional integration by the African Continental Free Commerce Space (AfCFTA), and a relentless deal with implementation. The Commissioner concluded by stressing that the problem is now not considered one of technique, however of execution and calling for strengthened collaboration amongst Member States, Regional Financial Communities, and growth companions.
Delivering the keynote handle on behalf of the Republic of South Africa, Minister of Electrical energy and Vitality H.E. Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa framed the present international context as a strategic inflection level the place power and transport infrastructure have grow to be devices of energy and financial sovereignty. He argued that Africa’s twin constraints, power deficits affecting 600 million folks and fragmented transport programs elevating commerce prices, are mutually reinforcing and should be resolved by built-in planning that treats transport and power as a single financial platform. Minister Ramokgopa referred to as for transferring past uncooked materials extraction to native beneficiation, aligning infrastructure growth with industrialisation, and shifting the main target from frameworks to measurable outcomes reminiscent of megawatts added, corridors operationalised, and jobs created.
In his opening remarks as outgoing Chair of the STC, Mr Messele Getu, representing H.E. Dr. Alemu Sime Feyisa, Minister of Transport and Logistics of Ethiopia, highlighted progress below the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), the African Built-in Railway Community grasp plan, and the Africa Vitality Technique. Acknowledging exterior pressures from international power market volatility, Dr. Alemu emphasised that such challenges current a possibility for Africa to speed up investments in native refining, strategic reserves, and resilient logistics programs. He referred to as for strengthened coordination between transport and power planning, positioning built-in corridors as strategic enablers of financial resilience below the AfCFTA.
Ministers and leaders on the ministerial session underscored a crucial shift from coverage design to decisive implementation at scale. They reaffirmed that transport and power infrastructure is the spine of Africa’s industrialization and the AfCFTA, whereas addressing structural constraints reminiscent of the huge financing hole, exterior provide chain reliance, and power entry deficits.
Sturdy calls had been made to develop built-in multimodal logistics corridors linking manufacturing zones to markets, and to maneuver Africa past uncooked materials exports towards native beneficiation, manufacturing, and worth addition.
Key outcomes of the session embrace endorsement of continental research on aviation infrastructure gaps, railway growth, port digitalisation, and inexperienced ports; approval of the African E-Mobility Framework and the Pan-African Motion Plan for Lively Mobility; and assessment of progress on the African Vitality Transition Technique and Motion Plan.
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Ministers additionally famous the entry into power of the Revised African Maritime Transport Constitution (August 2025) and the African Highway Security Constitution (March 2026), marking vital milestones in continental governance frameworks.
The brand new Bureau of the STC-T&E was elected in accordance with the Committee’s guidelines of process, making certain balanced sectoral illustration and geographical distribution.
The Bureau of the assembly was constituted based on STC Guidelines of Process as follows:
- Chair: Central (Gabon)
- 1st Vice Chair: West (Togo)
- 2nd Vice Chair: Northern Africa (Deferred)
- third Vice Chair: Southern Africa (South Africa)
- Rapporteur: Jap Africa (Ethiopia)
The adopted Ministerial Declaration and Consultants’ Report will information implementation efforts till the following odd session.
The African Union Fee reaffirmed its dedication to working with Member States, AUDA-NEPAD, the African Improvement Financial institution, UNECA, and different companions to mobilise sources and speed up challenge supply throughout the continent.