Calls for South Africa-UK education partnerships over hydrogen fuel cell technology

Successful applicants will be eligible for £25,000 of grant funding for the South Africa -UK partnership programme.

The British Council has announced it is inviting “suitably qualified” UK further education colleges or training organisations to apply for two international skills partnerships in South Africa.

Successful UK organisations will collaborate with Northern Cape Rural TVET College and Nkangala TVET College in South Africa, with a focus on the renewable energy sector, in particular, hydrogen fuel cell technology.

Accepted applicants will also be eligible for £25,000 of grant funding which will cover reciprocal visits to the UK and South Africa, staff time and the development of tools and resources.

In its release, the British Council said: “This is an excellent opportunity for organisations looking to build a network and capacity to work internationally.”

The British Council added that its teams in the UK and in South Africa will provide “ongoing advice and guidance” throughout the partnership.

The project is expected to run for a duration of 12 months from March 2025.

In a recent report from the Energy Industries Council (EIC), it was suggested that Africa was posted to become a “key player” in the green hydrogen market.

South Africa is a member of the Africa Green Hydrogen Alliance, one of six African countries that has ambitions of positioning the continent as a global leader in the sector.

In 2022, South Africa announced plans to support a pipeline of green hydrogen projects worth around $17.8 billion over the next decade.

This partnership further expands the work of the British council across the world as it has delivered over 200 partnership projects linking UK further education colleges to over 40 countries.