In this extract from an article to be published in a forthcoming edition of the Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Mariana Mazzucato, Antonio Andreoni, Kenneth Creamer and Grové Steyn argue that a mission-oriented approach to South Africa’s energy transition has the potential to drive cross-sectoral transformation of the economy. The authors argued that, by integrating the expansion in renewable energy generation capacity with active industrial policy measures, significant potential exists for accelerating growth, investment, and employment opportunities.