Will the World Truly Go Green in the 21st Century?

Rationale: The ozone layer’s slow recovery since the 1980s shows that global environmental healing is possible, but as the climate crisis deepens, a new question emerges: can the world truly go green in the 21st century, and will it do so justly? This article explores South Africa’s unfolding green journey through the eyes of everyday change agents — from solar-powered spaza shops in Soshanguve to school garden campaigns in Kroonstad. By grounding national data in lived experiences, especially those of youth leader, 2020 Activator and climate educator, Moqiniso April Masiu, the piece highlights how resilience, innovation, and urgency are reshaping local responses. In doing so, it moves beyond promises to ask: are we including the communities who need, and lead, this transition the most?

Article: The ozone layer began showing signs of a figurative “hole” during the 20th century, particularly in the 1980s. Since then, it has been slowly healing, with scientists expecting full recovery by 2066. This global environmental comeback sparks a more personal, immediate question for South Africans: Will the world truly go green in the 21st century? From Lefiso in Mpumalanga to Taung in the North West, and from Soshanguve to suburban Johannesburg, the green shift is already underway — and it’s being shaped by ordinary citizens.

In Mpumalanga, the province most historically tied to coal, green shoots are emerging in unexpected places. Near Ermelo, in Nomzamo Agricultural Village, off-grid solar systems have begun lighting homes and businesses. Through a rent-to-own model, households receive a solar “PowerBrick” for R99 a month, providing enough energy to charge phones, run small appliances, and power lights during load-shedding. Peco Power, the company behind the project, partnered with GreenCape and the Danish Embassy to pilot this solution, specifically designed for informal and rural settings (Peco Power, 2023). For local farmer Nokuthula M., who previously relied on candles and a smoky paraffin stove, the impact has been life-changing: “Now my children study without smoke in their lungs.”

Meanwhile, some of the loudest green voices are coming from South Africa’s youth. Moqiniso April Masiu, a community facilitator and youth developer based in Free State’s Kroonstad, knows this reality well. A 2020 ACTIVATE! Change Drivers cohort member, Moqiniso has worked across education, health, and climate justice since 2011. He currently leads grassroots initiatives with Youth Empowerment Emporium Inc., Red Cross, and the Maokeng Crime Prevention Youth Desk, including a Grade R–7 tutoring programme and climate-focused school campaigns. His frontline experience offers valuable insight into how the green transition is landing on the ground.

“One of the most inspiring moments,” Moqiniso shares, “was during our Changemakers Program with Masifunde Academy. We trained Grade 9 and 10 learners on climate change and social justice. After just one activation, they started food gardens, school dialogues, and awareness campaigns. They went from confusion to confidence.” For Moqiniso, these moments highlight the importance of accessible education as a catalyst for local climate action.

Further west in Lefiso and the neighbouring villages of Mmametlhake and Marapyane, young people are gaining green skills through renewable energy training, offered in partnership with the Mpumalanga Green Cluster Agency. These programmes are part of a R65 billion regional green economy initiative (Green Cluster Agency, 2023), preparing former coal-adjacent communities for the coming energy shift.

But the transformation isn’t just in former industrial areas. In Gauteng’s townships like Soshanguve and Mabopane, informal entrepreneurs have set up solar micro-hubs, offering phone charging, Wi-Fi, and even ice blocks for R5 during load-shedding. According to Stats SA (2023), Gauteng’s household electricity access stands at 96.4%, with alternative energy usage more than doubling since 2015. Small-scale solar is no longer just a suburban privilege — it’s becoming a township survival strategy. And with the City of Tshwane’s proposed embedded generation policy, residents may soon be able to sell excess electricity back into the grid (City of Tshwane, 2023).

Still, Moqiniso warns against the misconception that only urban or elite actors are leading the charge. “People think climate action comes from scientists or big NGOs. But on the ground, it’s young people, rural communities, and women who are doing the real work — recycling, making eco-bricks, growing food with no funding.” This echoes what’s happening in the North West.

In Taung, just outside the Vaal River basin, smallholder farmers are using solar-powered irrigation to cope with erratic rainfall. Supported by the Department of Agriculture’s Climate Smart Agriculture Programme, these farmers are also being trained in water harvesting and no-till farming methods (DAFF, 2023). “I used to lose crops to drought,” one Sekhing farmer said, “but now, the sun gives me the water I need.”

Despite these stories of hope, serious structural barriers remain. Eskom’s outdated infrastructure requires over R30 billion in transmission upgrades by 2030 (NERSA, 2023). While government has pledged more than R130 billion through the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan, municipal capacity to implement remains uneven (Presidency of South Africa, 2023). Provinces like Mpumalanga (89%) and North West (87%) still trail in energy access (Stats SA, 2023).

“The most urgent need now,” says Moqiniso, “is climate education and green skills — things like water harvesting, renewable energy, and food security. If we don’t equip people at the grassroots, the green transition will move forward without them. And that’s not justice.” Even so, the progress is tangible. In just the last two-to-three years, South Africa’s installed renewable capacity has risen by 30%, creating over 20,000 jobs (DMRE, 2024). What gives Moqiniso hope? “Communities are willing. Youth is ready. I just wish we could sustain their efforts.”

So, will the world truly go green in this century? In South Africa, the answer won’t be found in glossy reports or podium speeches — it’s already rising from the rooftops of spaza shops, from food gardens behind rural schools, and from youth activists such as activators who are turning awareness into action.

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References:

City of Tshwane (2023) Draft Embedded Generation Policy. Pretoria: City of Tshwane.

Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) (2023) Climate Smart Agriculture Programme. Pretoria: DAFF.

Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (2024) Renewable Energy Statistics Report. Pretoria: DMRE.

Green Cluster Agency (2023) Mpumalanga Green Economy Masterplan. Nelspruit: GreenCape and GIZ.

NERSA (2023) Transmission Infrastructure Investment Forecast 2023–2030. Pretoria: National Energy Regulator of South Africa.

Peco Power (2023) Nomzamo Pilot Project Summary. Available at: https://www.pecopower.co.za/nomzamo/

Presidency of South Africa (2023) Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP). Pretoria: The Presidency.

Stats SA (2023) General Household Survey 2022: Energy Use. Pretoria: Statistics South Africa.

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About the Author:

Mpho (MrSir) Matlhabegoane is one of the A! Hub Writers. He became an Activator in 2019, and through Activate! Change Drivers, he underwent educational training with Programmes such as SWITCH Entrepreneurship Programme, National Mentorship Movement with Printing SA and Citizen Journalism with The University of Witwatersrand (Wits). He is a Mental Health Awareness Advocate, and to spread mental health awareness, he published three books that are accepted by Gauteng Department of Education as of 2023, namely: The Story of MrSir (Word For The Record), Expanding The World Of Nerds, and Views and Emotions (Poetry Journal of MrSir).