Opinion: Africa’s energy transition is a growth story, but only if we act together

In this article, Vodacom CEO Shameel Joosub questions why, despite enormous renewable potential, progress in Africa’s energy transition remains slow, as well as what is needed to change this trajectory.
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SA’s electricity distribution sector in crisis

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the growing challenge of municipalities’ failure to settle arrear debt owed to power utility Eskom, as well as the possible remedies to this growing problem.  
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AMEA Power’s 120 MW solar plant achieves commercial operation

Dubai-based renewable-energy company AMEA Power has successfully commissioned its 120 MW Doornhoek solar PV plant in South Africa – the first project under Bid Window 6 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme to reach commercial operation. The $120-million Doornhoek project, near Klerksdorp, in the North West province, will generate about 325 GWh/y of clean electricity, which will offset more than 330 000 t/y of CO₂ emissions.
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Grid, renewable energy expansions should proceed in parallel

In South Africa, plans for the strengthening the country’s electricity transmission grid and further increasing renewable energy generating capacity were not yet in alignment, JUWI Renewable Energy Deputy Head of Project Development South Africa Beth O’Connor has pointed out. She was addressing a session at the Enlit Africa 2026 Conference, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, on Thursday. (JUWI was a utility-scale provider in the renewables energy sector, undertaking project development, engineering and construction, and operations and maintenance, for projects with a capacity of 30 MW and upwards.) She noted that the variability of renewable energy had impacts on the grid. Currently, the country’s grid was constrained in the Eastern, Western and Northern Cape, Free State and North West provinces, and partly constrained in Limpopo provinces. These provinces included most of the country’s renewable energy potential. 
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Nersa moves to consult on key building blocks in shift to electricity market competition

The outcomes of two public consultation processes initiated recently by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) are likely to have far-reaching implications for the country’s transition to a competitive electricity market. The first is the ‘Wholesale Electricity Pricing Methodology’, a consultation paper which was published on May 18, and the second is the ‘Transitional Generation Pricing and Vesting Contract Framework’, released on May 20.
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Municipalities can no longer treat their water systems as cash cows

In South Africa, the water utilities and systems were treated as stepchildren, by the various levels of government, affirmed Association of Water and Sanitation Institutions of South Africa (AWASI) chairperson and Rand Water chairperson Ramateu Monyokolo, on Wednesday. He was delivering a keynote address on the second day of the Enlit Africa 2026 Conference, being held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Municipalities used water and electricity as cash cows, he highlighted, adding that they did not reinvest in their water (and electricity) systems. They paid everyone on time, except for Eskom and the water boards. Municipalities currently owed water boards a total of R27-billion. One municipality alone owed R9-billion. 
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WEG, Energy Venture Capital partner to finance hybrid energy projects in South Africa

Electric technologies and energy solutions provider WEG has partnered with strategic energy investment company Energy Venture Capital (EVC) to provide funding of between R5-million and R500-million to hybrid energy projects in South Africa. The companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly evaluate hybrid energy projects on a case-by-case basis and offer funding opportunities consistent with the energy market.
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Landis+Gyr EMEA launches electricity smart meter at Enlit Africa

Multinational electronics company Landis+Gyr Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) unveiled its latest electricity smart metering innovation, the E480 DIN-Rail meter, at the Enlit Africa 2026 Conference and Exhibition, in Cape Town, on May 20. The E480 is a solution designed to help utilities and consumers better manage electricity use amid South Africa’s ongoing energy challenges.
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SolarAfrica acquires solar project from Nordic green energy supplier

Solar energy company SolarAfrica has entered into an agreement to acquire the Nyakallo solar project, in Limpopo, South Africa, from green energy developer Norsk Renewables. With financial close anticipated within the next 12 months, the project is expected to begin evacuating power by the second half of 2028, offering commercial and industrial businesses earlier access to new renewable capacity at scale.
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Eskom in early talks with World Bank, other funders for nuclear expansion

South Africa’s state-owned power utility Eskom is in exploratory talks with the World Bank to help fund a new multi-billion dollar nuclear build programme that could be launched within 12 months, a senior Eskom official said on Wednesday. Eskom, which operates Africa’s only operational nuclear power station close to Cape Town, is in the process of preparing a request for information for up to 5 200 MW of new nuclear generation capacity.
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