The African context: when the foundations of the transition are still being built
Ten years after the adoption of the Kigali Amendment, the global refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) sector is entering a decisive phase. The transition towards lower-GWP refrigerants is progressing, and countries are increasingly developing policies and programmes aimed at reducing HFC consumption. In Africa, however, the implementation of these commitments needs to be considered within a particularly complex and uneven regional context. While a number of countries have made significant progress in establishing regulatory frameworks, strengthening national institutions and preparing their Kigali Implementation Plans (KIPs), important gaps remain at the level of the RAC sector.
The main challenges in the region include limited technical capacity, the prevalence of informal technicians, and especially the growing risks associated with the handling of flammable alternatives. Strengthening technicians’ theoretical and practical skills is indeed essential to ensure that alternative refrigerants can be introduced safely and effectively. This is particularly relevant as many of the alternatives promoted under the Kigali Amendment have different safety characteristics from the refrigerants traditionally used in the sector, including flammability, toxicity or higher operating pressures.
In several African countries, therefore, the challenge is not simply to replace one refrigerant with another, but to build the foundations that make such a transition possible. These foundations include competent technicians, accessible practical training, appropriate tools and equipment, effective certification or competency-assessment systems, adequate safety standards, functioning refrigerant recovery and management practices, and effective cooperation between policy makers and technicians.
These challenges should not be interpreted as evidence that Africa is unable to implement the Kigali Amendment. On the contrary, they highlight the need for a transition strategy that reflects the realities of the region. Africa faces rapidly increasing demand for cooling, while large parts of its population still lack reliable access to adequate and affordable cooling services.
At the same time, the continent is expected to experience some of the fastest growth in the cooling market in the coming decades. The transition therefore represents not only an environmental obligation, but also an opportunity to establish a safer, more professional and more sustainable cooling sector.
The central question is consequently one of sequencing. Can the sector be expected to move rapidly towards increasingly sophisticated refrigerant transitions when the basic technical, safety, market-control and enforcement conditions required to support that transition are not yet consistently in place? In this sense, the African experience suggests that the “horses” of policy ambition and technological transition cannot be placed before the “cart” of the basic capacities needed to implement them. Training technicians, establishing competency and certification systems, improving refrigerant identification and trade controls, strengthening customs cooperation, formalising good servicing practices and ensuring that equipment and refrigerants are appropriately labelled are not secondary measures. They are the foundations upon which the safe and effective implementation of the Kigali Amendment must be built.
The carts are being put before the horses in some African countries. Several equipment operating with flammable refrigerants is already on some markets in Africa, knowing that any uncontrolled handling would cause a hidden fire. To prevent the RAC sector, so essential for the development of Africa and its food sovereignty, from inflaming both technicians and users, a vast awareness campaign and training program must be undertaken beforehand.
Across the continent, the risk of explosions is amplified by the fact that many technicians are poorly educated, so training sessions have been provided sparingly to only a few refrigeration engineers and government personnel in some countries. This is an insufficient action, given that the handling is done by more than 85% of technicians who have not yet been trained. This is therefore the place to solemnly launch an appeal, by professionals, worthy of the name and who measure the extent of the danger, to take energetic measures without delay, in terms of training and awareness.
The following recommendations are addressed to specific stakeholders. The recommendations are designed to be actionable and realistic within the African context, considering the informal sector dynamics and resource constraints:
Recommendations for Governments and policymakers
Governments of African countries should update national safety regulations to explicitly address flammable refrigerants. These regulations should adopt international standards such as ISO 5149 and ISO 817 as national requirements, establish maximum charge limits for different occupancy types, and mandate the use of flammable rated tools and equipment.
Governments should introduce mandatory technician certification for anyone handling flammable refrigerants. Certification should require demonstrated competence in safe handling procedures, leak detection, recovery, and emergency response. Certification should be renewable through periodic refresher training.
Governments should establish formal incident reporting systems for refrigerant related accidents. Reporting should be mandatory for all incidents resulting in injury, fatality, or significant property damage. A central database should be maintained to track incidents, identify trends, and inform policy.
Governments should strengthen market surveillance to prevent the sale of mislabelled or counterfeit refrigerants. Import controls should be enforced to ensure that all refrigerant cylinders are properly labelled with the refrigerant type, safety classification, and hazard warnings in local languages.
Government should cancel or reduce the taxation on the importation of refrigeration equipment and tools and provide incentives to RAC sector to be able to buy the right tools and equipment for best
Governments should enforce work permit and risk assessment requirements for refrigeration and air conditioning work involving flammable refrigerants. Work permits should specify the safety measures to be followed, the tools to be used, and the personal protective equipment required.
Recommendations for Training Institutions and Educators
Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions should integrate comprehensive modules on flammable refrigerant safety into their curricula. These modules should cover refrigerant properties, flammability characteristics, ignition sources, safe handling procedures, leak detection, recovery, and emergency response.
Training should be practical and hands on, not merely theoretical. Trainees should practice using flammable rated leak detectors, explosion proof recovery machines, and personal protective equipment. Simulated leak and fire scenarios should be included to build muscle memory and confidence.
Training providers should develop accessible, affordable, and convenient training options for informal sector technicians. Mobile training units, evening classes, weekend workshops, and peer to peer learning should be explored. Training materials should be available in local languages and should use visual and practical methods appropriate for learners with limited literacy.
Training should include modules on behavioural change, not only technical skills. Trainees should understand the importance of work permits, risk assessment, logbooks, and compliance with safety procedures. The Theory of Planned Behaviour and Diffusion of Innovations frameworks suggest that training should also address social norms and perceived behavioural control.
Recommendations for Industry Associations
National refrigeration associations should expand their reach to informal sector technicians. Associations should offer low cost or free training, tool libraries, and certification pathways. They should also serve as reporting bodies for incidents, documenting accidents and sharing lessons learned with members.
Associations should advocate for regulatory reform and enforcement. They should engage with governments to develop safety regulations, certification schemes, and incident reporting systems. They should also work with importers and distributors to ensure that only properly labelled, safety rated refrigerants and cylinders enter the market.
Associations should promote a safety culture among their members. This includes regular safety bulletins, case studies of incidents, recognition of safe practices, and peer accountability mechanisms.
Recommendations for International Partners and Agencies
International organizations such as UN Agencies (UNIDO, UNEP, UNDP and World Bank) and some national cooperation Agencies (JIRCA, GIZ, …) should ensure that projects supporting the Kigali Amendment include dedicated components on workforce safety. Funding should be allocated for training, tool provision, regulatory development, incident reporting systems and support the national RAC associations.
Partners should support the establishment of regional centres of excellence for flammable refrigerant safety. These centres could develop standardized curricula, train trainers, conduct research, and provide technical assistance to governments and associations.
Partners should finance the development and distribution of affordable flammable rated tools for informal sector technicians. Subsidies, tool libraries, or financing mechanisms could be piloted and scaled.
Partners should support the creation of continental incident reporting networks. A shared database of refrigerant related accidents could be hosted by U-3ARC, allowing countries to learn from each other’s experiences.
Recommendations for Technicians and the Private Sector
Technicians should actively seek out training on alternatives (flammable, toxicity and high pressure related) refrigerants, even if not required by law. They should read labels on refrigerant cylinders, follow safety procedures, use appropriate tools, and never take risks with open flames or ignition sources in the presence of leaked refrigerant.
Workshop owners and employers should provide personal protective equipment, flammable rated tools, and safety data sheets for all refrigerants used. They should enforce work permit and risk assessment procedures and should not allow untrained technicians to handle flammable refrigerants.
Refrigerant distributors should ensure that all cylinders are properly labelled with the refrigerant type, safety classification, and hazard warnings in local languages. They should refuse to sell refrigerants to uncertified technicians and should provide safety data sheets with every sale.
Equipment manufacturers should design systems with clear labelling indicating the refrigerant type and safety requirements. They should also provide training materials and safety instructions that are accessible to technicians with varying literacy levels.
While RACHP industry can be a source of pollution in A2 countries, The lack of reliable RAC industry is the major issue for the climate in A5 countries because of the CO2 emissions from post-harvest losses due to lack of cold chain.
Madi Sakandé