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Sensor Networks forms smart geyser partnership with Ariston

Local smart home technology startup Sensor Networks has secured a strategic partnership with Italy-based geyser manufacturer Ariston to bring smart water heating solutions to South African households this year. The partnership follows months of rigorous product development, refinement and certification, culminating in the rollout of Ariston geysers integrated with Sensor Networks’ smart geyser devices to plumbing retailers in South Africa, Sensor Networks says.
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Cape Town moves to open electricity grid to traders after pilot

After the conclusion of a year-long electricity ‘wheeling’ pilot project, the City of Cape Town is opening its electricity grid to private electricity sales and trading. During the pilot phase, 562 800 kWh of renewable electricity was successfully wheeled.
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Transitioning to clean energy of great importance to African women – Graham-Maré

Transitioning to the use of clean energy, and in particular clean energy for cooking, is especially important for women in Africa. So highlighted South African Electricity and Energy Deputy Minister Samantha Jane Graham-Maré, in her keynote address to the Women in Energy breakfast at Africa Energy Indaba 2025, being held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Clean cooking had to be a focus for African women, she affirmed. More than 600 000 women and girls died in Africa every year, from indoor pollution caused by having to use biomass fuel for cooking.
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R40bn Eastern Cape green energy cluster expected to reach financial close in 2027

Emerging electricity retail brand Earth & Wire is aiming to achieve financial close on a R40-billion renewables and storage cluster in the Eastern Cape by the third quarter of 2027 and begin supplying green electricity to multiple customers by 2030. Known as EnergyFields, the facility is planned for construction south of Somerset East in the Blue Crane Route municipality on the western side of the N10, and will blend 700 MW of wind and 800 MW of solar PV with a battery energy storage system (BESS) facility of between 400 MW and 500 MW in size with four hours of storage.
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International upheavals will affect Africa’s energy development and needs a joint response

The world, including Africa, is facing a major international political event of “seismic proportions”, South African Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa highlighted in his keynote address to the Africa Energy Indaba 2025 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, on Tuesday. Although he carefully named no names, he was undoubtedly referring to the dramatic upheavals in international politics being caused by the new administration in the US. He pointed out that these would affect African countries’ interaction around energy and energy security. The impact would be significant, he warned. Multilateral cooperation was under deep strain. Multilateral investment flows remained unequal. Trade had been weaponised, making it more difficult for developing countries to achieve sustainable development. The Paris climate accords were not being achieved.
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Earth & Wire reports progress on 2 GW Eastern Cape blended electricity cluster

Emerging electricity retail brand Earth & Wire reports that it is at an advanced stage of developing a 2 GW project cluster in the Eastern Cape called Energy Fields, which will blend utility-scale wind and solar PV generation with large-scale battery storage and sell electricity to multiple customers. Head of strategic business development Thomas Garner reports that Energy Fields is scheduled to enter into commercial operation by late 2029 and that Earth & Wire is
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Schneider appoints digital energy director for Anglophone Africa

Energy management and automation company Schneider Electric has appointed Hilton Baartman digital energy director for Anglophone Africa.

Baartman is an award-winning executive with a diverse background in professional services, energy, water, engineering, procurement and construction, as well as technology.

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Diversified energy resources needed to ensure energy security for Africa, South Africa – Ramakgopa

South Africa, and Africa as a whole, had to make use of diversified energy resources, to enhance energy security. This was one of the points highlighted by South African Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa in his keynote address, at the Africa Energy Indaba at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, on Tuesday. In the case of South Africa, he affirmed that the country’s energy policy was one of “additionality” (adding new energy sources) not “subtraction” (closing down existing energy resources). South Africa (and Africa) was a fossil fuel producer and it would be the “height of folly” to phase this out. “We’re not going to decimate coal.”
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Giyani produces high-purity manganese oxide in Johannesburg

TSX-V-listed Giyani Metals, which is developing the K. Hill battery-grade manganese project in Botswana, has announced the successful production of high-purity manganese oxide (HPMO) at its demonstration (demo) plant in Johannesburg. The production of HPMO, which serves as a precursor for high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM), marks a significant development in the company’s efforts to capitalise on the rapidly growing market for electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage system (ESS) batteries.
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New World Bank report proposes four priorities for accelerating South Africa’s growth

A new World Bank report argues that South Africa can raise growth and employment by pursuing four priorities aimed primarily at stimulating market competition and bolstering the efficiency of public institutions and spending. Titled ‘Driving Inclusive Growth in South Africa’, the first priority listed in the report is for the country to improve the efficiency of public spending, while leveraging private resources to enhance economic growth and job creation.
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