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Competitive regulation key amid renewables disruption

Amid the technological ‘tsunami’ in renewable power technologies under way, African energy regulators need to have rules that are market friendly and that encourage competition, highlights University of the Witwatersrand Business School African Energy Leadership Centre visiting adjunct professor Dr Rod Crompton. With many African countries adding generation capacity, but struggling with weak, State-dominated power grids, Crompton says it would be helpful for professional, independent electricity regulators to determine cost-reflective tariffs for the use of electricity grids, with the ownership and operation of grids as separate, standalone entities, without any vertical integration, whether publicly or privately owned.
February 20, 2026 by

Reforms advance certainty, implementation risks remain

South Africa has made significant strides in establishing a clear electricity regulatory framework, but implementation threatens to undermine its impact, highlights law firm Sitef & Co director Mihlali Sitefane. In assessing whether South Africa has created enough certainty to sustain electricity law reform, Sitefane says the amendments to the Electricity Regulation Act provide much-needed clarity for private-sector investment; however, the progress may be curtailed if the amendments are not properly implemented.
February 20, 2026 by

Private capital reshaping renewable-energy investments

Private capital, expanding wheeling arrangements and the growing focus on transmission infrastructure are reshaping South Africa’s energy investment landscape, as the country moves to a more mature phase of renewable-energy development, says renewable energy investment company Revego Fund Managers CIO Ziyaad Sarang. Revego Fund Managers, which manages the Revego Africa Energy Fund, says the most bankable opportunities in South Africa are now concentrated in operational and late-stage renewable-energy assets where revenue certainty and operational resilience are “at their strongest”.
February 20, 2026 by

The next frontier for African energy companies is capital, communities and cross-border growth

Africa’s energy deficit is often framed, in terms of scale, by how many megawatts are required, how quickly they can be delivered and how efficiently capital can be mobilised. While these questions remain critical, they are no longer sufficient. As African energy companies mature, the next frontier is not only cross-border growth, but how that growth is pursued, with whom, under what governance frameworks and to whose long-term benefit, says renewable-energy company Pele Energy Group director of sustainability and cofounder Fumani Mthembi. “For developers operating on the continent, expansion beyond national borders requires a shift in mindset. It demands moving beyond a narrow infrastructure-delivery model towards one that integrates power generation with development, capability building and energy sovereignty.”
February 20, 2026 by

Engineering-led renewables gaining ground

Engineering-led delivery models are gaining traction in Africa’s renewable-energy sector as developers seek lower-cost projects despite rising electricity demand, grid constraints and increased pressure to accelerate energy project deployment, highlights India-headquartered renewable-energy consultant SgurrEnergy director Arif Aga. He says independent engineering consultancies are increasingly supporting utility-scale renewables projects across Africa, particularly in markets where reliance on full engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracting has contributed to elevated project costs.
February 20, 2026 by

Independent transmission company ‘one of most important reforms in country’s history’

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the move to establish a fully independent State-owned transmission company as “one of the most important reforms in our country’s history”, while confirming the composition of the dedicated task team he has established to clarify the implementation and timing of its establishment. In his response to the debate on his State of the Nation Address (SoNA), the President also emphasised the complexity of the initiative, which he said required detailed technical work and strong coordination across different entities.
February 19, 2026 by

Global green hydrogen production is set to surge, forecasts global analytics group

Global production of green hydrogen has started to surge, driven mainly by major policy initiatives in North America, UK-based international data analytics and consultancy group GlobalData has reported. Production of low-carbon hydrogen in general has been largely flat, or grown only slowly, for years, it pointed out. But acceleration started a couple of years ago. Global production of all forms of low-carbon hydrogen had reached 0.84-million tons a year in 2024. Total global low-carbon production capacity in that year had amounted to 1.7-million tons a year. The consultancy forecast, in its ‘Low-Carbon Hydrogen Market Report, Update 2025 – Global Market Outlook, Trends, and Key Country Analysis’, that, by 2030, global low-carbon hydrogen production would hit 42-million tons a year in the low case scenario, or 65.3-million tons a year in the high case scenario.
February 19, 2026 by

South Africa part of broader shift in acceleration of domestic solar panel production

Countries around the world are accelerating investment in domestic solar panel production capacity to strengthen energy security and industrial resilience, and South Africa is part of that broader shift, with new local manufacturing capacity contributing to a more diversified and reliable solar supply ecosystem, says South African solar panel manufacturer Ener-G-Africa. The Africa Solar Industry Association ‘Africa Solar Outlook 2026’ report found that Africa is the fastest-growing solar market globally. As the market matures, there is a growing need for consistency, quality, accountability and service.
February 19, 2026 by

Trader-led wheeling to play big role S Africa’s renewable power market in 2026

South Africa’s renewable-energy market is entering a decisive new phase in 2026, shaped by electricity reform, tightening grid capacity and changing project economics — with trader-led wheeling models rapidly emerging as the principal commercial structure for large power users. This is the view of Discovery Green CEO Andre Nepgen, who highlights that procurement strategy is now as important as price in securing long-term energy resilience. “Electricity reform is moving from policy design into practical implementation, bringing clearer governance structures and participation rules,” he notes.
February 19, 2026 by