Inland 5 Community of Practice

The Inland 5 Community of Practice (CoP) is a pioneering collaboration in South Africa’s renewable energy sector, facilitated by INSPIRE and funded by DGMT.

It brings together Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and a community trust in the Inland 5 region to explore new ways of working collectively on social performance.

The CoP is grounded in relationship-building, shared learning, and a commitment to impactful community development. Over the course of the project, the Inland 5 has aligned around high school education as a shared priority and selected the Public-School Partnerships (PSP) initiative as their pilot project. This thematic focus reflects a long-term investment in educational transformation as a pathway to socio-economic development in the region.

Key milestones so far include the co-development of a shared vision and formal Memorandum of Understanding, deep dive learning sessions, and strategic planning gatherings. The group has also contributed to wider sector learning events such as the most recent INSPIRE Learning Event, positioning the CoP as a model for cross-organisational collaboration.

As the project moves into its next phase, it sets the foundation for a more coordinated and values-driven approach to social performance in the renewable energy landscape, with potential for replication across themes and geographies.