Balancing Economic Competitiveness with the Just Energy Transition: The Case of South Africa’s Green Hydrogen Policy

Rachel Lekunze ORCID iD

Issue: Vol. 6 No.14 Article 7 pp. 3603 – 3615
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256147 | Published online 29th December, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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This study examined the development of green hydrogen policy in South Africa. It argues that while it is framed within the country’s Just Energy Transition and related climate commitments, its true driver is economic competitiveness. The study was based on a qualitative and interdisciplinary methodology that combines policy analysis, legal-institutional critique and socio-economic contextualisation to assess the stated objectives of key hydrogen policy documents against South Africa’s climate change agenda. It draws on legislative texts, national strategies and government policies to expose the instrumental use of climate discourse to justify export-oriented hydrogen initiatives. Key recommendations include amending relevant legislation on green hydrogen development, production and transportation, integrating green hydrogen into national development strategies, and promoting green hydrogen infrastructure through public-private partnerships. The study contributes to knowledge by offering an understanding of how green hydrogen policy in a Global South context serves as both an economic lever and a symbolic climate commitment.

Keywords: Green Hydrogen, Energy Transition, South Africa, Economic Competitiveness

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Dr. Angwe Rachel Lekunze is a legal scholar specialising in environmental, energy, and public law in South Africa, the African Union, and the SADC region. She holds a PhD in Law from North-West University and serves as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UNISA. Her work focuses on legal and regulatory framework analysis, comparative law, and governance research, with contributions to multi-country projects such as the FAO SADC Drought Study. Dr Lekunze has lectured at various institutions and previously led academic accreditation processes as Principal at Jeppe College. She has published widely on energy governance, environmental law, and just transitions in Africa.

Lekunze, Rachel. “Balancing Economic Competitiveness with the Just Energy Transition: The Case of South Africa’s Green Hydrogen Policy.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no. 14 (2025): 3603 – 3615, https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256147

© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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