Yellow Door Energy and Actis Acts Launch CSR Initiative “YDE Lumen30” to Bring Solar Training to Youths in South Africa
Yellow Door Energy (“YDE”), the leading renewable energy independent power producer (IPP) for businesses in the Middle East and Africa, and Actis Acts, a charitable organisation under global sustainable infrastructure investor Actis, officially launch Project YDE Lumen30, a corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) initiative in South Africa. “YDE Lumen30” is a creative name developed by the Yellow Door Energy team, reflecting the initiative’s focus on youth empowerment through skills development and training.
YDE Lumen30 consists of two phases. Phase 1 involves the training of 30 qualified youths in solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, while Phase 2 provides a solar power plant to a community centre in Alexandra Township at no cost to the centre. The selection process for the trainees has been rigorous, and training begins in April 2025. The training, project managed by Economic Development advisory firm DevRani Consult and implemented by non-profit Unnati Training Academy, will run for three months at the ENS Pro Bono office in Alexandra, after which participants will undergo a comprehensive exam to assess their technical knowledge.
The project is co-funded by Yellow Door Energy and Actis Acts, a foundation by Actis, which supports charitable activities that create a positive and sustainable impact on communities. Actis is a majority shareholder of Yellow Door Energy, and the project addresses the challenges of youth employment and energy security in South Africa.
At the end of YDE Lumen30, the project will connect the trainees with specialised and experienced mentors from the renewable energy industry.
Ugeshree Thakurpersad, Founder and CEO of DevRani Consult, said, “As the project manager for YDE Lumen30, we are delighted to partner with Yellow Door Energy to drive meaningful socio-economic transformation through this project. This initiative is about more than training; it’s about building a sustainable future and unlocking opportunities for our youth to shape the energy landscape of tomorrow.”
Neo Pele, a trainee in the programme, shared his expectations of and excitement about the initiative: “The YDE Lumen30 initiative is helping me connect my engineering background with the energy space. I’m excited to learn, meet people in the industry, and bring those insights to my community to make a real impact.”