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SAPVIA announces newly electred governing committee

Industry body the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) has announced its newly elected governing committee, led by outgoing treasurer Advocate Mtho Xulu as chairperson. De Villiers Botha returns as deputy chairperson and Nicola Cencelli is the new treasurer.
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Nuclear regulator grants NRWDI licence to operate Vaalputs radioactive waste facility

South Africa’s National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has granted the National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute (NRWDI) the nuclear licence to manage and operate the Vaalputs National Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility, located in the Northern Cape. The licence has been held hitherto by the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation, or Necsa.
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AfDB provides $474m loan for South Africa’s energy transition, infrastructure governance

Development finance institution (DFI) the African Development Bank (AfDB) has signed a $474.6-million loan agreement with South Africa to support the implementation of the country’s Just Energy Transition (JET). The loan will finance the infrastructure governance and green growth programme, the National Treasury says in a statement.
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South Africa urged to maximise short-term coal gains while accelerating long-term energy transition

A temporary global hesitation to embrace the energy transition, spurred on primarily by resistance to the idea by the US, may provide short-term advantages for corporates in sectors such as coal, South African Presidential Climate Commission climate finance and innovation head Dipak Patel said during the 2025 Coal & Energy Transition Day, in Johannesburg, on July 23. Speaking as part of a panel, he suggested that it would be unwise for companies not to make use of this period to capitalise on available opportunities.
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Licensed electricity traders see Nersa rules process as opportunity to bolster certainty

Several licensed electricity traders canvassed by Engineering News have welcomed the decision by the regulator to initiate a process to finalise rules for domestic and cross-border trading and have also expressed an eagerness to participate in the process so that the outcome is fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory. The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) recently outlined a process and timeline for crafting a “fair and balanced framework for electricity traders”, with the intention of having the rules Gazetted by June next year.
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Speakers outline Eskom’s transition approach

State-owned power utility Eskom has adopted a “forward-looking” strategy that is designed to tackle the current pressing challenges in the electricity sector, while positioning the entity as a resilient and competitive energy leader, Eskom strategy and sustainability group executive Nontokozo Hadebe outlined during an address at the 2025 Coal and Energy Transition Day on July 23. She pointed out that Eskom is systematically improving disciplined execution of maintenance, and has recently returned about 794 MW of capacity to service, with about a 96% availability for supply, and reduced loadshedding, thereby improving the energy availability and security in the country.
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Eskom says standalone renewables unit could seek to tap market appetite for green electricity

Eskom group executive for strategy and sustainability Nontokoza Hadebe says the decision to establish a ‘GreenCo’ renewables business as a standalone subsidiary separated from Eskom Generation is to help facilitate partnerships, as well as to potentially tap the growing market appetite for green electricity. Speaking at Resources for Africa’s Coal & Energy Transition Day, Hadebe reiterated the State-owned utility’s aspiration to build 20 GW of renewable energy by 2035, 5 GW of which would arise from just energy transition-linked “repowering” initiatives at existing coal power station sites that are scheduled for decommissioning by 2030.
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Nuclear Energy Agency highlights rapid progress in development of SMRs globally

The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), which is an agency of the intergovernmental Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, has published the third edition of its “NEA Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Dashboard”. This shows that there has been notable progress in the development and deployment of SMRs around the world. “The overarching developments reflected in the “NEA SMR Dashboard” are clear: the strategic drivers for SMR deployment – rising electricity demand, including from data centres and expanding digital services, energy security imperatives and the national goals set by many countries to reduce carbon emissions – are intensifying,” reported NEA director-general William D Magwood IV. “SMRs are now a core part of the energy strategies in an increasing number of countries in all parts of the world.”
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Six new solar projects selected and talks continue on eight more, including four wind projects

Six solar PV projects, with a combined capacity of 1 290 MW, have been named as preferred bidders following the seventh bid window (BW7) of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). All the projects are located in the Free State province and achieved competitive bid prices of between R499.99/MWh and R514.06/MWh.
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Ekurhuleni suspends fixed electricity tariff following protests

Acknowledging the protest action in Tembisa on July 21, in relation to the introduction of a fixed electricity tariff charge for the 2025/26 financial year, Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza has resolved to suspend the implementation of the fixed electricity tariff charge of R126, including value-added tax (VAT), with immediate effect across the municipality. He says this decision is subject to urgent endorsement by the Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipal council and will facilitate further structured public consultations.
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