Pilot procurement of 1 164 km of powerlines from private investors to be launched in Nov

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... 

George insists new air-pollution exemptions for eight Eskom coal stations not a ‘blanket reprieve’

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Dr Dion George has granted Eskom air-pollution exemptions for eight power stations that would otherwise have been forced to close on April 1. He... 

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... 

New credit guarantee vehicle to derisk grid projects to be launched in 2026

A credit guarantee vehicle to mobilise private sector capital by derisking projects will be launched in 2026, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced in his delayed Budget speech. He confirmed... 

Equipment revival at South African port terminals underpinning move from stabilisation to recovery

Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) CEO Jabu Mdaki believes the steady flow of new equipment, together with improved relations with key original equipment and part suppliers as well as shipping lines,... 

CONCESSION CALL

A request for proposals has been issued for companies to bid for a 25-year concession at the Port of Durban’s Maydon Wharf precinct. The precinct covers 145 ha and has 15 berths with a yearly... 

Striking the right Budget balance

There are arguably three ways to view recent developments around South Africa’s Budget process. The first, is to lament. 

Cabinet to consider new Economic Growth Plan, as it mulls including gas in Operation Vulindlela

South Africa’s Cabinet is planning to hold a special meeting on an ‘Economic Growth Plan’ for the country, while it will also consider additional reforms to fall under Operation Vulindlela, the... 

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 African Renewable Energy Masterplan approved for implementation by Cabinet

Cabinet has finally approved the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM), which will seek to leverage green industrialisation opportunities from the country’s deployment of wind, solar... 

Ivanplats signs ten-year green-electricity deal with Enpower for Platreef

Registered energy trader Enpower Trading has signed a ten-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with platinum mine developer Ivanplats for the yearly delivery of 48.30 GWh of renewable electricity to... 

Decision on Eskom’s application for more air pollution exemptions to be announced on March 31

Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Minister Dr Dion George will on March 31 announce a decision regarding Eskom’s application for additional minimum emission standards (MES) exemptions for... 

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... 

PPC concludes long-term contract for supply of wheeled solar electricity to four plants

JSE-listed cement producer PPC has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Yellow Door Energy (YDE) for the supply of renewable electricity, wheeled through the Eskom grid, to four of... 

Creecy moves to test private sector appetite for rail and port partnerships

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has launched an online request for information (RFI) process to test market appetite for potential private sector participation (PSP) investments in selected rail... 

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... 

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... 

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... 

Eskom’s four seasons

Listening recently to a live rendition of Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons as South Africa descended into yet another unwelcome bout of loadshedding, it did not require much imagination to compare... 

Comment sought on proposed R100bn Transformation Fund to support black-owned firms

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau has released draft details of a plan to establish a new R100-billion Transformation Fund, which will aggregate private, public and developmental... 

Eskom describes implementation of structural tariff changes as necessary shock to system

Eskom has acknowledged that there will be differentiated tariff impacts for various categories of electricity customers following the regulator’s approval of a new retail tariff plan (RTP) for... 

75 MW Northern Cape solar project to be built on back of innovative ‘aggregator model’

A 75 MW solar PV project being developed near De Aar in the Northern Cape to supply an energy aggregator has advanced to financial close. The Du Plessis Dam Solar PV2 facility is being built by... 

Electricity demand fell again last year amid rapid growth of solar installations

Demand for electricity in South Africa continued to trend down in 2024, a new Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) report confirms. It shows that peak demand was a per cent lower... 

Government advertises for new head of Independent Power Producers Office

The South African government is advertising for a new head of the Independent Power Producers Office (IPPO), a position that has been held by Bernard Magoro since April 2020. In an advert published... 

TRIM confirms 98 applications for rail slots but new tariff uncertainty clouds third-party outlook

The newly established Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM) has confirmed that it received 98 applications for slots being made available across the network to private train operating... 

Repurposed Twistdraai destoning plant key to Sasol’s plan for recovering Secunda’s output

Energy and chemicals group Sasol is repurposing its Twistdraai export coal plant as a destoning operation to improve the quality of coal being used in its Secunda gasifiers, in Mpumalanga, where it... 

Ramokgopa hints that new IRP includes ten-year delay to coal shutdowns

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has given the strongest indication yet that the next edition of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) will include a 10-year delay to the... 

Trade war blueprint

US President Donald Trump’s recently published trade policy agenda leaves absolutely no room for nuance. Not even the tiniest crack has been left to allow light to be shed on the possible... 

DEADLY CUT

The US government’s decision to halt funding for African HIV programmes was not unexpected. Nevertheless, the sudden manner of the withdrawal is both disruptive and potentially deadly for tens of... 

Graham-Maré expects Cabinet to adopt long-awaited industrialisation masterplan for renewables ‘within the month’

Electricity and Energy Deputy Minister Samantha Graham-Maré reports that the long-awaited South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM) is currently wending its way through the Cabinet... 

Big Red Rocket wind farm to supply green electricity to Richards Bay Minerals achieves financial close

Renewable energy independent power producer (IPP) Red Rocket has reached financial close on the first 242-MW phase of the Overberg Wind Farm, which will be built on 15 farm portions covering 8 721... 

Transnet urged to use Budget Facility for Infrastructure to fund project partnerships

While Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said that additional guarantees will be considered to refinance Transnet’s maturing debt and its capital investment programme, no equity support was... 

New credit guarantee vehicle to derisk grid projects to be launched in 2026

A credit guarantee vehicle to mobilise private sector capital by derisking projects will be launched in 2026, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced in his delayed Budget speech. He confirmed... 

Lower VAT hikes in delayed Budget not enough to secure full GNU backing

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana tabled his delayed Budget on Wednesday that included lower, yet still controversial, increases to the value-added tax (VAT) rate, as he sought to hold the... 

Ramaphosa insists South Africa will send envoys to ‘transactional’ US once offer is crafted

President Cyril Ramaphosa insists that his government intends following through on sending envoys to the US as announced during his State of the Nation Address but that it will do so once it has... 

TNPA seeks bids for 25-year multipurpose terminal concession at Durban’s Maydon Wharf

South Africa’s Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has initiated a process to appoint a private operator for the multipurpose terminal at the Port of Durban’s Maydon Wharf precinct. A request... 

Equipment revival at South African port terminals underpinning move from stabilisation to recovery

Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) CEO Jabu Mdaki believes the steady flow of new equipment, together with improved relations with key original equipment and part suppliers as well as shipping lines,... 

Exasperated Ramokgopa warns of ‘casualties’ after latest loadshedding bout

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has expressed exasperation and disappointment over the most recent implementation of Stage 3 loadshedding by Eskom over the weekend starting... 

Eskom implements Stage 3 loadshedding after losing Koeberg unit again

Eskom again resorted to Stage 3 loadshedding on Friday, after a loss of 2 700 MW in 14 hours, including Koeberg Unit 2, which was taken offline on March 2 and was meant to have been returned to... 

RFP for multi-line transmission package set for Nov

Note: This article has been written partly using information from documents provided to the media during the 2025 Budget lock-up prior to the cancellation of the Budget Speech on February 19. The...