New normal loading

In a world turned upside down by the performative antics of US President Donald Trump, it is easy to lose one’s bearings and one’s cool. And while the South Africans that entered the White House... 

Soweto’s Nasrec Expo Centre named as venue for G20 Leaders Summit

Cabinet has endorsed the selection of the Nasrec Expo Centre, in Soweto, as the venue for the G20 Leaders Summit, which will be hosted in November. Located alongside the iconic Soccer City stadium,... 

Ramaphosa says Trump agreed to US attending G20 Summit in Joburg

Writing in his weekly newsletter, President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that President Donald Trump agreed that the US should continue playing a key role in the G20, including attending the G20 Leaders’... 

Mantashe wants newly launched SANPC to lead oil refining revival

Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe has indicated that he wants the newly launched South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC) to play a central role in reviving domestic... 

Operation Vulindlela to now include municipal rescue, urban densification and digital transformation

South Africa’s Government of National Unity Cabinet has endorsed a plan to incorporate three new reform priorities under the umbrella of Operation Vulindlela, which will now oversee and coordinate... 

Wetility launches AI energy management solution to automatically boost solar use

Solar as a service provider Wetility has launched an AI-enabled solution for its customers to automatically optimise their solar and battery usage to improve electricity account savings, while... 

Less haste, more speed?

Updating South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for electricity has always been a perilous endeavour. Despite various attempts, it took nearly ten years for the 2010 edition to be updated,... 

Sasol slashes emission-reduction capex but insists 30% target remains intact

Energy and chemicals group Sasol has announced a dramatic 70% cut to the capital expenditure (capex) budget associated with its greenhouse-gas emission reduction roadmap to 2030, while still... 

Tau insists participating in R100bn Transformation Fund will be entirely voluntary

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau has again insisted that no new demands will be imposed on business and industry because of the establishment of the R100-billion Transformation... 

Review of 82 tariff codes for solar, wind and battery inputs could have far-reaching implications

A tariff review by the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) of input materials and components used in wind, solar PV and battery storage facilities could have... 

Eskom’s R321bn capex plan has strong focus on grid, renewables and gas

State-owned electricity producer Eskom has unveiled details of a R321.72-billion capital expenditure (capex) plan for the coming five years, which includes plans for a material rise in grid-related... 

Opaque policymaking

The announcement by Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa that the load factor for proposed gas-to-power (GtP) plants in South Africa will be increased from 25% to above 50% was... 

Ramokgopa reaffirms Nedlac deliberations on IRP to be ‘last step’ before Cabinet approval

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokogopa has reaffirmed that deliberations at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) are the “last step left” ahead of... 

Outage slippages blamed for sixth bout of loadshedding of 2025

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has fingered cumulative outage slippages of 3 100 MW as the reason behind South Africa’s latest bout of loadshedding – the sixth this year.... 

Government Business Partnership commits to ‘intensified phase’ amid growth headwinds

The Government Business Partnership has agreed to what is being described as an “intensified phase” of delivery on the priority interventions vital to economic growth and job creation following a... 

Newly minted electricity department outlines grid and renewables targets to lawmakers

The newly separated Department of Electricity and Energy (DEE) has outlined its vision and mission to lawmakers, listing among its priorities for the coming five years the procurement of 20 GW of... 

Rising role of South Africa’s private offtaker market underscored in latest Global Wind Report

The growing role of the private offtaker market in stimulating the South African wind sector has been highlighted in the latest 'Global Wind Report', which has been released by the Global Wind... 

Unavoidable trade-offs

The International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) has initiated two major tariff reviews that could have significant implications for the country’s existing real-economy... 

Concern lingers over both content of updated IRP and lack of consultation

Serious questions continue to be raised about both the content of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for electricity currently being discussed at the National Economic Development and Labour... 

Eskom aims to smooth maintenance profile after difficult summer

Eskom CEO Dan Marokane has indicated that the State-owned utility is planning to “smooth” its maintenance profile over a longer horizon to avoid the security-of-supply risks currently associated... 

Ramokgopa announces big increase in gas-to-power load factor to 50%-plus

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has announced that the load factor for proposed gas-to-power (GtP) plants in South Africa will be increased from 25% to above 50%. Speaking... 

Exxaro views collaboration with Eskom as key to lowering of Scope 3 emissions

JSE-listed coal and energy group Exxaro Resources and State-owned electricity producer Eskom have announced they will collaborate on research initiatives and projects to reduce carbon emissions and... 

Aspirant IPP advancing 1 GW flexible gas-engine project in Mpumalanga

Aspirant independent power producer (IPP) FlexED is developing a 1 000 MW gas-engine project in Mpumalanga to provide the flexible generation and ancillary services that will be required as the... 

Window of opportunity

The full implications for South Africa of US President Donald Trump’s untargeted trade and industrial policies are not yet fully known. They are unlikely to be pain-free, however. Besides for the... 

Eskom’s R321bn capex plan has strong focus on grid, renewables and gas

State-owned electricity producer Eskom has unveiled details of a R321.72-billion capital expenditure (capex) plan for the coming five years, which includes plans for a material rise in grid-related... 

Transnet to shortlist bidders ahead of rail leasing company tender

State-owned freight logistics group Transnet has initiated a process to select a private partner for a new leasing company, or ‘LeaseCo’, that will lease rail rolling stock to private train... 

R132bn of private renewables to be built in SA by 2030

A new Green Cape report is forecasting that 6 GW of new private solar PV and 3.5 GW of new private wind capacity will be installed in South Africa by 2030, involving total investments of... 

Renewables aspirant

Eskom CEO Dan Marokane has outlined the case for why the State-owned utility will be entering the renewable-energy space more assertively over the coming months and years, as well as how the group... 

Procurement of first 1 164 km of powerlines from private investors to be launched in November

South Africa intends launching a pilot programme for the procurement of 1 164 km of 400-kV powerlines, involving seven corridors in three provinces, in November as part of an initiative to mobilise... 

Steel firms run ‘collateral damage’ risk if they fail to respond to big Itac tariff review

A leading trade adviser is urging companies and individuals with interests in South Africa’s steel value chain to respond to the International Trade Administration Commission’s (Itac’s) call for... 

Steady progress

Methodical progress is being made ahead of the launch, later this year, of South Africa’s inaugural procurement of independent transmission projects (ITPs). Following a market-sounding exercise... 

Sasol to buy in more coal amid ongoing quality problems at own mines

Energy and chemicals group Sasol has again reduced its coal production forecast for the current financial year, owing to ongoing quality problems affecting production at its Secunda Operations,... 

Exxaro views collaboration with Eskom as key to lowering of Scope 3 emissions

JSE-listed coal and energy group Exxaro Resources and State-owned electricity producer Eskom have announced they will collaborate on research initiatives and projects to reduce carbon emissions and... 

Marokane says Eskom must be given ‘space’ to pursue renewables strategy

Eskom CEO Dan Marokane has appealed for the State-owned utility to be given “space” to implement its renewable-energy strategy, insisting that it is not designed to “crowd out” private competitors... 

Rail industry hails pre-procurement market testing, but calls for urgency to clear way for train operators

The African Rail Industry Association (ARIA) has welcomed the launch of a pre-procurement market sounding exercise by the South African government with regard to private sector participation (PSP)... 

South Africa considering export taxes and quotas to revive ferroalloy smelters – Mantashe

Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe reports that discussions are under way within government and with manganese and chrome producers in an effort to halt the decline in domestic... 

Back to the future?

There’s some concern that government is delaying the inevitable, after more support was extended to ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) to facilitate a six-month pause of the shutdown of its longs... 

America’s application of tariff-setting formula ‘hugely inflated’ South Africa’s trade surplus

South Africa’s trade surplus with the US, which was used to calculate the ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump, has been “hugely inflated”, says Professor Lawrence... 

Auto council urges urgent trade talks, as Trump’s tariffs imperil R35bn in exports

The industry body that represents South African carmakers has called on government to initiate urgent trade discussions with the US, warning that the costs associated with the 25% tariffs being... 

Retaliatory tariffs against US would be ‘counterproductive’, South Africa’s Tau says

South Africa has confirmed that it has no intention of imposing retaliatory tariffs on the US after President Donald Trump announced that South African imports faced so-called “reciprocal tariffs”...