The 2025 wrap: A note from the editor's desk

Hey,

Welcome to the final edition of Green Jobs Rising for 2025!

This year was a full-circle moment. 

2025 is the year GJR was officially born, and somehow we did it all at once: we took our first breath, crawled, learned to walk and talk, joined kindergarten, and grew into our teenage years in a single year. It’s been exciting watching this publication come to life so quickly.

Here are a few milestones we hit in less than a year:

• We launched as a five-days-a-week publication (and much longer than it is now).

• We streamlined the format and still published five days a week.

• I brought on a co-editor, Ian Musembi.

• We launched our Green Jobs Rising community.

• We shifted to three publishing days a week and introduced new content categories.

Alongside building GJR, we also watched the green sector grow in real time. 

2025 had a very specific feel on the ground: solar, rooftops, EVs, and charging points. 

Across Africa, Chinese solar equipment flowed in at record scale. Ember’s analysis of China’s export data shows Africa imported 15,032 MW of solar panels in the 12 months to June 2025, a 60% jump from the previous year. May 2025 also hit a record 1.57 GW in a single month. That wave didn’t just add megawatts. It created everyday work: rooftop installs, last-mile distribution, customer support, and maintenance, repeated city by city and village by village.

At the same time, electric mobility moved beyond pilot projects and began to look like a continent-wide shift. Governments across the region started making moves to accelerate the transition away from fuel vehicles. Ethiopia took one of the boldest steps by banning imports of fuel-powered vehicles and reporting over 100,000 EVs in the country by September 2025.

The story this year has been clear: the transition isn’t stopping or slowing down. It’s picking up.

And in keeping with our mission to help you navigate the sector with confidence, we worked hard to bring you opportunities, insights, and recruiter perspectives that bring you closer to your dream job. 

One of my favorite segments this year has been the recruiter series. Speaking to recruiters has been deeply insightful, even for me, and we hope it has been just the same for you.

We closed the year with an online forum on job hunting in the e-mobility sector. 

That was only the beginning. Next year, we have plenty planned, including more online forums, podcasts, and a few surprises 🤫 I’m not ready to reveal yet.

I know it wasn’t always easy. We hit a few bumps along the way, but your presence and support kept us going. We’re truly grateful to have you.

For now, take time to rest and recharge. In 2026, more jobs await, and we plan to be audacious. (Apply even when a part of you whispers, “I don’t qualify” because sometimes the difference is in the audacity to hit send). 🤫

Until 5th Jan 2026, Happy holidays - Merry Christmas to those celebrating, and a joyful 2026 to everyone.

Cheers, 
Pauline Ronoh
Editor, GJR