CAPE TOWN – Eswatini’s Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, Prince Lonkhokhela, has called on African governments and energy stakeholders to cut red tape and work more closely with the private sector to speed up the rollout of energy projects across the continent.
He made these remarks at the 27th Africa Energy Forum (AEF), currently underway at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, South Africa. The four-day forum, which runs from 17 to 20 June 2025, brings together over 2,000 participants from 80 countries, including more than 21 ministers, investors, and industry leaders.
This year’s event runs under the theme “Africa United,” and seeks to forge a collective voice for Africa in tackling the continent’s energy challenges and shaping its future power landscape.
Prince Lonkhokhela was joined by senior members of Eswatini’s energy sector, including Thabile Nkosi (Director of Energy), Ernest Mkhonta (Managing Director of the Eswatini Electricity Company), and Skhumbuzo Tsabedze (CEO of the Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority), as well as other top officials from government, EEC, and ESERA.
Addressing fellow ministers during a closed session titled Accelerating the Pace of Projects, the prince urged governments to identify and resolve regulatory and environmental hurdles early in the project lifecycle. He noted that failure to do so often results in long delays during the approval process.
Referencing Eswatini’s own experience in power procurement, Prince Lonkhokhela said effective collaboration with financiers and thorough stakeholder consultations before bidding processes can reduce bottlenecks. He said that engaging both government and financiers early in drafting project documents ensures they are financially viable and bankable, which reduces delays between project award and financial close.
He also advised that countries should deploy experienced, multidisciplinary teams to work with transaction advisers. According to him, this helps avoid drawn-out negotiations that often derail timelines and frustrate investors.
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