ENGAGE! is a tech-supported community engagement platform in Africa, developed by Cultiver Group to strengthen relationships between large-scale infrastructure, mining, and renewable energy projects and their host communities. Free to access, the platform provides a toll-free hotline through which community members can raise concerns, ask questions, and share feedback in real time. Designed as a proactive, inclusive and transparent communication channel, ENGAGE! enables project owners to better understand community needs, reduce social risks, and respond early to potential challenges—helping to prevent conflict, delays, and unrest while supporting more socially responsible project delivery.
Linked to this, Cultiver has developed the Just Energy Transition (JET) Champions Programme, a learning initiative designed to introduce young people, particularly from historically disadvantaged communities, to the realities and opportunities of South Africa’s energy transition.
The programme focuses on strengthening youth capacity by deepening understanding of:
- The renewable energy landscape in South Africa
- The functionality of renewable energy technologies
- The political economy of the energy transition
- The socio-economic implications of the Just Energy Transition
Its core objective is to equip young people with the foundational knowledge needed to engage confidently in conversations about the country’s shift toward a more sustainable energy system.
Contributing to the Programme
On March 3rd, INSPIRE Project Officer Zandile Mnwana facilitated an online session focused on the economic development dimensions of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). This session brought together approximately 50 young participants from renewable energy host communities across the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Western Cape.
The discussion explored:
- The evolution and rationale of economic development within REIPPPP
- How renewable energy projects contribute to local socio-economic development
- The mechanisms through which benefits are shared, including Community Trusts
- The limitations, and challenges that shape outcomes on the ground
INSPIRE’s involvement in initiatives like the JET Champions Programme reflects our broader commitment to strengthening of social performance in renewable energy – by investing in knowledge-sharing, dialogue and capacity building.
Thank you to the Cultiver team for inviting us to be a part of this initiative!
