We are an attractive energy partner for any nation. Developed economies in particular have been burned by volatility in their energy supplies, be they Russia invading Ukraine or the instability in many oil-rich nations around the world.

Listen to this article 7 min Listen to this article 7 min South Africa is sitting on its next "gold rush": a massive renewable energy economy that the country is on the verge of creating - and which the rest of the world wants.

But if we don't hurry up, we might miss it.

The energy transition can create hundreds of thousands of direct jobs, and the new economy it will empower can create millions more through the industry that will be born of it. The CSIR, for example, has estimated that renewable energy projects could create between 100,000 and 300,000 jobs alone.

Even in its lowest projection, that beats the 91,000 jobs that currently exist in the coal industry, which would be the industry most displaced.

Beyond the numbers, these are also better jobs. Primarily, they don't come with the deadly risks of silicosis or many of the other health ailments workers experience in the sector. Importantly, the majority of the jobs - in building infrastructure and then maintaining it - are within the capabilities of workers in the coal sector.

So, as long as a lot of this development takes place in the coal belt, we can...