On October 22, 2025, the JustGESI project was officially launched at the University of Sheffield, hosted by the Urban Institute (UI) as part of its 10-year anniversary celebrations. The event provided a key platform to introduce JustGESI’s work on advancing gender equality and social inclusion Africa’s energy transition.

The JustGESI Malawi team participated in the 2025 Malawi National Energy Conference and joined a virtual side-event titled ‘Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) in the Energy Sector: Policy and Action.’ The team introduced the JustGESI initiative and engaged stakeholders in discussions on inclusive energy policies, gender disparities, and the role of energy entrepreneurship in advancing GESI.

The JustGESI team held its first in-person workshop in Cape Town from 6–9 October 2025, hosted by the African Climate and Development Initiative at the University of Cape Town. Our team of researchers and practitioners from six countries and diverse disciplines examined GESI policies in national energy strategies, identified policy-practice and data gaps, and reflected on what it takes to advance just, inclusive, and sustainable energy futures.

As part of the JustGESI annual meeting in Cape Town this October, our team visited Langa Township to learn from its histories and present realities. Drawing on this experience, Dr Rihab Khalid reflects on how the legacies of apartheid urbanism continue to shape everyday lives in the township, reminding us that the questions of energy justice are inseparable from issues of space, place, memory, and care.