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US stalls $2.6bn climate finance package for South Africa

he US is stalling the distribution of $2.6-billion in climate finance to South Africa, stoking concerns the money might be blocked outright, people familiar with the situation said. At a meeting earlier this month, US representatives prevented the World Bank-linked Climate Investment Funds from approving a $500-million disbursement to South Africa, two of the people said, asking not to be identified because a public announcement hasn’t been made on the matter.
March 20, 2025 by

Eskom describes implementation of structural tariff changes as necessary shock to system

Eskom has acknowledged that there will be differentiated tariff impacts for various categories of electricity customers following the regulator’s approval of a new retail tariff plan (RTP) for implementation on April 1, alongside the 12.74% tariff increase approved for the 2025/26 financial year. Eskom regulation GM Hasha Tlhotlhalemaje has described the restructuring associated with the RTP as a necessary “shock”, as it begins aligning Eskom’s tariff structure with underlying system costs and changes to the electricity supply industry, while removing unintended cross-subsidies.
March 19, 2025 by

Gaia acquires an interest in solar PV, wind plants

Cape Town Stock Exchange-listed Gaia Renewables 1, has acquired an interest in three renewable-energy plants from the IDEAS Renewable Energy Fund, which is managed by African Infrastructure Investment Managers. The deal, initially funded with debt and equity, will see the fund gaining a 10% holding in each of the Linde and Kalkbult solar PV plants, in the Northern Cape, as well as a 21% stake in the Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm, in the Eastern Cape.
March 19, 2025 by

CSIR, AFD discuss enterprise development opportunities for solar PV, battery storage

Research institution the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and French public agency Agence Française de Développement (AFD) on March 12 hosted a dissemination workshop to share the findings of the study titled ‘Value chain analysis for identification of opportunities for enterprise development’. This collaboration included a study examining the localisation potential and enterprise development opportunities for solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage value chains.
March 18, 2025 by

Western Cape could start exporting renewable power by 2032

The Western Cape government says it remains on track to reach its target of generating 5 700 MW of its own energy by 2035, and could even become a net exporter of renewable energy by 2032. Premier Alan Winde this week provided an update on the progress his government had made in building up the province’s energy and water security capabilities.
March 14, 2025 by

Africa’s solar capacity grows, but falls well short of potential – council

Nonprofit trade body Global Solar Council (GSC) finds in its latest market report that Africa’s solar installations are set to soar over the next four years, with 23 GW projected to be installed. With solar installations on the continent poised to grow by 42% this year, GSC says the region is “on the verge of a solar breakthrough”; however, more solar capacity is often held back by high capital costs and insufficient financing.
March 14, 2025 by