South Africa’s nationwide electricity blackouts have been suspended, but the nation still faces a “risk of another energy crisis”, the 2025 Energy Market Projections report notes, making the necessity of an energy transition indisputable. Hypothetically, if we persist with our current energy system, remaining a fossil-fuel-dependent country will have considerably worse socio-economic implications than those of the just energy transition. National frameworks such as the Just Energy Transition Framework, the Just Transition Investment Plan and the Implementation Plan include moderately comprehensive “just” principles, considerations and measures. Actualising these is a fundamental step in translating the “just” dimension of the energy transition into practical implementation. Ultimately, the “just” aspect of the just energy transition is both a practical necessity and a moral imperative for building South Africa’s sustainable future.