Upcoming launch of electricity market seen as key step towards competition

Various organisations in the electricity sector are anticipating the start of the South African Wholesale Electricity Market (SAWEM) this year as a step towards phasing in a liberalised market, in which various participants will provide services – from generation, transmission, distribution, aggregation and sales to balancing and peaking services. The objective is “to move from a sector in reform to a sector that is reformed, functional and thriving”, according to law firm TGR Attorneys director Masedi Tlhong.