In partnership with The Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office and the US Department of Energy
Introduction
Ensuring energy security in the 21st century requires supply chains that are not only resilient and qualified, but also diverse and comprehensive. In the nuclear sector, this means expanding the network of local and foreign suppliers, technologies, and partnerships to reduce reliance on a limited set of sources and increase global capacity to respond to demand and technical challenges. A diverse supply chain strengthens resilience against geopolitical risks, market fluctuations, and logistical disruptions, while also fostering innovation, competition, and local development. As African countries explore nuclear energy as part of their low-carbon future, there is an opportunity to shape a more globally integrated civil nuclear supply chain that benefits Africa’s growing interest in nuclear power.
From 8 to 11 December 2025, the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP) and Wilton Park convened a conference in Franschhoek, South Africa to examine how African countries can develop resilient and diverse nuclear supply chains as part of their long-term energy strategies.[1] The meeting brought together policymakers, regulators, industry representatives, civil society stakeholders and financiers from 15 countries, as well as multilateral development banks, and regional and international organisations to explore the opportunities and challenges associated with nuclear power deployment in Africa, with a particular focus on supply chain resilience and diversity.[2] This is the fourth such conference convened by the VCDNP and Wilton Park in Africa with a view to expanding access to peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology.[3]
Many African countries have been working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on their nuclear programmes for many years and some have made significant progress. Progress has been made in areas such as regulatory development, human capacity building, and international engagement, although readiness remains uneven across the continent. Early high-level commitment to a civil nuclear programme and associated supply chain and human capacity development were cited as necessary first steps. Continental development ambitions, including Africa’s Agenda 2063, were repeatedly referenced as an important strategic context within which nuclear energy could support industrialisation, energy security, and sustainable development.[4]
Discussions highlighted that diversifying the nuclear supply chain is critical not only for reducing reliance on a limited number of suppliers, but also for strengthening resilience to geopolitical risk, market volatility, and logistical disruption. Key themes included the importance of early attention to localisation and regulation, the need for credible and diversified financing strategies, and the role of leadership, communication, and workforce development in sustaining long-term nuclear programmes.
[1] The VCDNP and Wilton Park extend their sincere gratitude to the United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office and the United States’ Department of Energy for the generous support that made this conference possible.
[2] State representatives included Algeria, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda. Other participants included those from the African Commission for Nuclear Energy (AFCONE), the African Development Bank(AfDB), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Nuclear Industry Association (NIA), OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), Oppenheimer Project, Rolls Royce, Terrapower URENCO, and the World Bank.
[3] See: Micah Nyawade Shako, “Nuclear Dialogue Africa: regulatory excellence and communications”, conference report, Wilton Park, 18-20 February 2025. Available at: https://www.wiltonpark.org.uk/reports/nuclear-dialogue-africa-regulatory-excellence-and-communications/.
Noah Mayhew, Ingrid Kirsten and Tony Stott, “Accelerating sustainable development in Africa: scaling up peaceful nuclear uses”, conference report, Wilton Park, 30 April – 3 May 2024. Available at: https://www.wiltonpark.org.uk/reports/accelerating-sustainable-development-in-africa-scaling-up-peacful-nuclear-uses/.
Ingrid Kirsten, Noah Mayhew and Danielle Dahlstrom, “In support of Africa’s Agenda 2063: pathways forward for expanding peaceful uses of nuclear energy and nuclear technology in Africa”, Wilton Park, 24-28 February 2020. Available at: https://www.wiltonpark.org.uk/app/uploads/2020/09/WP1763-Report.pdf.
[4] African Union, “Africa’s Agenda 2063: The Africa we want”, 10 June 2013. Available at: https://au.int/sites/default/files/documents/36204-doc-agenda2063_popular_version_en.pdf.