Operation Vulindlela again lists Eskom’s restructuring as a reform area ‘facing significant challenges’

The latest update on progress being made in implementing the structural reforms that have been prioritised under Operation Vulindlela has again identified Eskom’s restructuring as a reform area... 

Draft amendments to B-BBEE codes open way for Transformation Fund

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau has Gazetted proposed amendments to the existing Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) codes of good practice in a bid to open the way... 

Big decisions loom

South Africa is weighing a range of policy measures as various manufacturing sectors – from ferroalloys and steel, to automotives – face existential threats. The causes of their eroded... 

HOPEFUL NOTE

The seasonally adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose by 8.2 points to 48.7 in January, marking a significant recovery from December’s slump. Although still below the neutral 50-point... 

Ramaphosa intervenes to ensure Transmission System Operator will own grid assets

President Cyril Ramaphosa has directly intervened in the dispute over Eskom’s unbundling plan, announcing in his 2026 State of the Nation Address (SoNA) that the independent Transmission System... 

Eskom says it may take trading rules on legal review, as it calls for material changes

Eskom has raised a slew of legal and technical issues with the draft trading rules being considered for approval by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) and has indicated that it... 

Cobalt and copper sourced from DRC artisanal miners to be transported on Lobito corridor

In a milestone for the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), which links the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to a deep-water port in Angola, Entreprise Générale du Cobalt (EGC) and Trafigura have... 

South Africa and China sign trade and investment framework agreement

South Africa and China have signed a framework trade and investment agreement aimed at providing duty-free access to the Chinese market to more South African products and facilitating Chinese... 

New online tool offers instant assessment of a project’s ‘just transition’ credentials

A new online portal has been launched to enable project originators and/or financiers to determine quickly whether the project being assessed aligns with the principles of South Africa’s just... 

Germany reaffirms €2.68bn commitment to South Africa’s Just Energy Transition

Germany's special envoy for the Just Energy Transition Partnership with South Africa Rainer Baake says his country’s ongoing commitment to the initiative is reflected by the fact that Germany has... 

Welcome visibility

A new data portal made publicly available recently by the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) provides some encouraging insight into the country’s power generation project pipeline.... 

BLSA Reform Tracker says Eskom unbundling strategy ‘broke with the approved reform plan’

The latest Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) Reform Tracker Quarterly Review says there has been “concerning backwards movement in the critical electricity sector”, attributing the regression... 

Seriti Green appoints Motloung as COO as projects move into operation

Renewable energy independent power producer Seriti Green has appointed Chabisi Motloung as COO, as the company’s projects, including the giant Ummbila Emoyeni Wind Farm in Mpumalanga, move into... 

Operation Vulindlela again lists Eskom’s restructuring as a reform area ‘facing significant challenges’

The latest update on progress being made in implementing the structural reforms that have been prioritised under Operation Vulindlela has again identified Eskom’s restructuring as a reform area... 

SAWEM market code and rules to be first order of business for new Nersa advisory forum

The immediate priority of the Electricity Market Advisory Forum (EMAF), which was appointed by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) in December, will be to offer input on the... 

Solar body concerned that revised Eskom unbundling plan could stymie crucial grid investment

The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) has added its voice to those expressing concern about the potential negative consequences arising from the revised unbundling plan for... 

Central defensive midfield

In his prime, it was typical for fans of those teams in which French international footballer N'Golo Kanté played, including Chelsea, to quip that “70% of the Earth is covered by water, the rest by... 

Energy Regulator grants 87c/kWh tariff relief to ferrochrome smelters

The Electricity Regulator has approved an application by Eskom to extend temporary tariff relief to ferrochrome producers Samancor Chrome and the Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture for a period of 12... 

Creation of ‘competitive’ electricity, logistics markets key next priorities for Government Business Partnership

Implementing reforms in the electricity and logistics sectors to facilitate the establishment of “commercially viable, competitive markets in these network industries”, has been identified as a key... 

Nersa mulls interim tariff solution for ferrochrome smelters amid parallel work targeting 62c/kWh

Eskom has requested the energy regulator to approve an interim tariff of 87c/kWh in favour of Samancor Chrome and the Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture as a temporary measure to sustain smelter... 

New analysis points to dramatic reshaping of trade lanes amid tariffs and geopolitical tensions

A new scenario analysis of global trade points to ongoing trade growth over the coming decade despite the imposition of tariffs and rising geopolitical fragmentation. However, it also suggests that... 

Stability versus resilience

The revised Eskom unbundling strategy announced is emerging as something of a touchstone for government’s commitment – or otherwise – to reforming the structure of an electricity industry that has... 

Presidency official says unbundling of Eskom should not be pursued ‘half-heartedly’

The Presidency’s Rudi Dicks, who is overseeing the economic reforms being implemented under Operation Vulindlela, says the unbundling of Eskom’s transmission business cannot be done... 

Cost of ferrochrome electricity deal cannot be ‘socialised’, Ramokgopa reiterates

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has reiterated that the cost of the solution being pursued to salvage South Africa’s ferrochrome smelters, most of which have been closed on... 

Unilever South Africa lifts local content to 80% as it moves to embed supply-chain resilience

The producer of a diverse range of well-known household brands – from Sunlight soap and OMO washing powder, to Vaseline and Robertsons Spices – reports that it has increased the local content in... 

New battery manufacturing body wants local content designated in large industrial and utility-scale projects

Six local lithium battery and inverter manufacturers have joined forces to form the South African Battery Manufacturers Association (SABMA) in an effort to raise awareness of the country’s energy... 

SAPVIA sees ongoing solar market recovery laying basis for industrialisation, but warns against narrow focus on modules

The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) says demand for solar PV in 2025 continued to recover from the 2024 slowdown, which followed on from the loadshedding-induced surge of... 

Danger signs

“We live in a world, in the real world, Jake, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power. These are the iron laws of the world since the beginning of time,”... 

DBSA says $200m Lobito loan in line with regional integration strategy

South Africa’s State-owned Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) says its $200-million funding contribution to a larger $753-million loan agreement with the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR)... 

NTCSA says any electricity deal to salvage Mozal must ensure its financial sustainability

The National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) reports that it remains open to finding a solution for the Mozal aluminium smelter. But it also insists that any new electricity supply... 

IEA still expecting coal demand to fall by 2030 despite record 2025 demand

Global coal demand is on course to rise by 0.5% in 2025, reaching a record 8.85-billion tonnes, the ‘Coal 2025’ report published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows. Nevertheless, the... 

Nersa reinforces shift to competitive electricity market as it approves market operator licence and new grid rules

The Energy Regulator, which is the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa’s) highest decision-making body, has made three landmark decisions in support of the country’s legislated... 

I saw the crescent . . .

As the sun sets on 2025, South Africa’s long-awaited recovery is becoming visible like the first sliver of a waxing crescent days after a new moon. While still modest, the 0.5% GDP expansion in the... 

Cabinet backs six-pillar Critical Minerals Strategy Implementation Plan

South Africa’s Critical Minerals Strategy Implementation Plan has been approved by Cabinet, which claims it will significantly contribute to economic growth and job creation. In May, Cabinet... 

NTCSA outlines envisaged role for new TSO sans grid assets

The National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA), which is set to remain an Eskom Holdings subsidiary and owner of the transmission assets, has moved to explain the role of the... 

New Eskom unbundling strategy delinks grid assets from future transmission system operator

A new Eskom unbundling strategy, which uncouples the grid assets from the system operator role to be performed by a separate and yet-to-be-established transmission system operator (TSO), has been... 

Eskom promises not to impose burdens on other customers as it inks MoU to support embattled ferrochrome smelters

Eskom has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Samancor Chrome and the Glencore–Merafe Chrome Venture in a bid to finalise an electricity tariff solution that prevents the closure of... 

Eskom prioritises 14 municipalities for Distribution Agency Agreements to tackle R105bn arrear debt

Eskom has identified 14 municipalities for the implementation of five-year Distribution Agency Agreements (DAAs), a controversial mechanism for dealing with arrear debt owed to the utility that now... 

Marokane wants South Africa’s grid plan to be coupled to larger regional plan

Eskom CEO Dan Marokane has called for South Africa’s Transmission Development Plan (TDP) to be complemented by a “regional TDP” to support the development of the grid infrastructure required to... 

Shift in mood

The complex and multidimensional nature of life in any country means that more than one thing is invariably true at the same time. Moreover, these truths can be highly contradictory, or as Charles...