South Africa: Looking to build sustainable cities using China model

South Africa wants to build new cities to eradicate poverty, with the Chinese model that uses a polycentric policy approach mooted as a possible blueprint off which to base this future plan.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile said one of the lessons the country is learning from fellow BRICS member nations is that they have invested in the creation of new cities as a method to eradicate poverty. He was addressing the BRICS New Development Bank’s (NDB) Ninth Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors under the theme ‘Investing in a Sustainable Future’ in Cape Town on Saturday (31 August). “We are of the… opinion that it is imperative to allocate resources towards the construction of new cities in Africa in order to alter the spatial perspective of our cities.

“Over the years, we have learnt that China has built new economic nodes using a polycentric policy approach. The three facets of the polycentric city are competitiveness, cohesion, and sustainability.

“As a result, a polycentric city is considered a solution to urbanisation difficulties such as inefficient transportation networks and a shortage of cheap housing, among others.”

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Mashatile said this is because polycentric societies provide equitably distributed employment and facilities.?

“It is about size because it is in response to the rise of megacities. This is because cities have evolved into economic engines.

“As we collaborate with the NDB , we will invest in new cities in response to today’s realities, which are growing urbanisation, migration, climate change, poverty, unemployment, and pandemic management. The future is in the cities.”?

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The Deputy President said that the acceleration of?the construction of these cities, will address “the large influx of people from rural areas moving to urban areas.”

This migration, he said, has put tremendous strain on cities throughout South Africa, “causing traffic congestion, housing infrastructure backlogs, and, to some extent, an increase in crime rates.”

“However, as we develop these cities, we must remember that sustainable cities require dependable, inexpensive, and renewable energy to operate.

“High-energy consumption patterns, rising energy costs, and environmental deterioration caused by the use of fossil fuels render cities vulnerable and inefficient.” Mashatile highlighted the NDB’s infrastructure investment in South Africa .

“In this regard, we take note of the $5.6 billion in loans extended to our country over the last eight years.

“It is commendable that NDB has approved $2.3 billion for 10 renewable energy projects, including solar PV, wind, hydropower, biomass, and hybrid systems with storage.?

“These projects aim to install a 2.8GW generation capacity, reducing over four million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.”

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South Africa wants to learn the following from fellow BRICS members:

• China’s experience in rapidly scaling up renewable energy capacity and modernising its grid infrastructure.
• India’s successes in promoting rural electrification and integrating large-scale renewable energy projects.
• Brazil’s expertise in hydroelectric power and bioenergy.
• Russia’s strategies for managing a vast transmission network and its progress in nuclear energy.

And gain insights into:

• Effective models for private sector participation in transmission infrastructure development.
• Strategies for balancing grid stability with the integration of variable renewable energy sources.
• Innovative financing mechanisms for large-scale energy projects.
• Best practices in managing the socio-economic aspects of energy transitions.

Mashatile also laid out Eskom’s unbundling process to delegates and sketched out plans for the country’s energy transition.

“We are developing comprehensive plans for the economic diversification of coal-dependent regions, skills development programmes for workers in the fossil fuel industry, and initiatives to promote local manufacturing in the renewable energy sector,” he said.

“We are also looking beyond our borders, strengthening our participation in the Southern African Power Pool through Regional Integration. This regional approach improves our energy security by sharing resources and creating opportunities for cross-border power trading.

“These initiatives represent a fundamental reimagining of our energy industrial complex. We are moving from a centralised, coal-dominated system to a more diverse, flexible, and sustainable energy landscape. This transition is not without its challenges, but we are committed to seeing it through.”

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