10 November to 23 November 2025

Roundup of major energy and electricity news and developments

1.Treasury backs Eskom takeover of failing municipal networks amid 71% debt surge.

South Africa's municipal arrear debt for electricity has surged to unprecedented levels, intensifying financial pressure on Eskom and threatening the timelines for the utility's distribution and transmission unbundling. Eskom now reports R105-billion in overdue municipal debt - a 71% year-on-year increase, according to National Treasury - with more than 70% of this debt concentrated in fewer than 30 severely distressed municipalities. In response, government has endorsed the rollout of Distribution Agency Agreements (DAAs), a new operating model under which Eskom temporarily assumes responsibility for revenue management, metering, billing and in some cases network operations in poorly performing municipalities. National Treasury confirmed that it supports the framework, viewing it as essential to stabilising municipal finances and protecting the national fiscus. Eskom has identified 14 priority municipalities for the first phase of DAA implementation, targeting areas with the fastest-growing arrears and collapsing revenue systems. A broader pipeline of up to 47 towns and cities has also been flagged, where Eskom may assume direct operational control to safeguard electricity supply and improve collections. Eskom CEO Dan Marokane warned that runaway municipal debt is now a “direct obstacle” to the utility's restructuring programme. He said the debt burden is constraining cash flow, delaying capital investment, undermining maintenance, and complicating the finalisation of the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) balance sheet. Complementing the DAA initiative, a World Bank-supported payment-for-performance grant has been launched for metropolitan municipalities, providing incentive-based funding linked to measurable improvements in billing accuracy, revenue collection and technical performance. Despite these interventions, analysts caution that structural issues - including weak governance, political interference and chronic non-payment by government departments and communities - continue to fuel the crisis. Without decisive turnaround in municipal revenue systems, the country's electricity reform and investment agenda faces escalating risks.

2.Unnecessary red tape vs. rooftop solar: a legal battle brewing over SSEG rules.

A growing clash between municipalities and Eskom on the one hand, and civil society on the other, has emerged over onerous registration and compliance demands by electricity distributors in South Africa for small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) systems, including residential and commercial solar PV and battery energy storage (BES). The Association of Municipal Electricity Utilities (AMEU) has issued a 14-page position paper calling for expanded safety-compliance requirements, including mandatory engineering signoffs, specialised inverter-commissioning tests, and extensive documentation for approval before connection to municipal networks. Municipalities argue that tighter controls are needed to protect staff, maintain power-quality standards, and fill claimed regulatory gap following the withdrawal of the Draft SANS 10142-1-2. Some cities have proposed punitive measures for non-registration - including fines and possible supply disconnection. The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has sharply criticised the AMEU paper, refuting any suggestion of a regulatory gap, and warning that many of the proposed municipal requirements are unlawful, parallel compliance requirements that are out-of-step with existing, lawful safety legislation, regulations and mandatory standards applicable to low-voltage electrical installations “behind the meter” on customer premises. OUTA argues that only a “registered person”, as defined under the Electrical Installation Regulations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, may legally certify customer electrical installations; and municipalities cannot introduce parallel approval regimes or reject valid Certificates of Compliance (CoCs). OUTA further contends that SSEG systems under 100 kVA that do not export are exempt from registration under Schedule 2 of the ERA - a view directly at odds with the AMEU's interpretation. Eskom, meanwhile, has recently begun reducing red tape for residential SSEG, a move OUTA has welcomed. Analytically, the dispute exposes a deeper issue as municipalities seek to impede the adoption of SSEG and protect their market share under the guise of safety, while consumers face escalating costs and administrative burdens that risk slowing South Africa's rooftop-solar momentum at a critical moment in the energy transition.

3. SA secures major renewables commitments from Europe, Norfund and private sector.

South Africa's renewable energy landscape is receiving a substantial injection of capital this month, with both institutional and private-sector investors stepping up. Development bank EIB Global has extended a €350-million (R6.8-billion) framework loan to state-owned logistics group Transnet to fund rail and port infrastructure upgrades and green-hydrogen production facilities. In parallel, private-sector pledges made by Harith General Partners, Enertrag South Africa, Octopus Energy, Genesis Energy and CrossBoundary Energy at the recent Global Citizen NOW summit in Johannesburg committed billions more across Africa, including South Africa, to accelerate the transition to clean power. On the investment front, Norway's development finance institution Norfund has invested US $75-million (R1.3-billion) into leading renewable energy company, Mulilo Energy Holdings. Mulilo develops renewable energy projects in South Africa, and builds, owns and operates a portfolio of wind, solar and battery energy storage (BES) plants as an independent power producer. The above indicates growing confidence in South Africa's renewables sector and aligns with national goals under the recently updated national Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP 2025) and Just Energy Transition frameworks. The combination of large-scale infrastructure finance and private-sector capacity helps unlock upstream value chains, grid-integration challenges and jobs in the low-carbon economy. Yet analysts note that the proof will be in delivery - the regulatory environment, grid readiness, local-manufacturing content and off-take certainty remain key. With the EIB loan explicitly linked to green-hydrogen efforts, South Africa is positioning itself to leverage its platinum-group-metal (PGM) endowment and hydrogen-export ambitions alongside solar and wind build-out. Meanwhile, private-sector pledges aim to double renewable capacity across Africa by 2030 - with South Africa at the core. Taken together, these investment flows mark a positive development in the region's energy transition, assuming the projects move swiftly from announcement to commissioning.​

4. From planning to commissioning, regional renewable energy accelerates.

The Southern African renewable-energy landscape continues to show positive growth with multiple developments announced across the region in the last two weeks. Namibian national utility NamPower has invited international bids to develop six 20 MW grid-connected solar PV projects totalling 120 MW, as part of an IPP framework that mandates minimum local ownership of 39% and at least 20% equity for previously disadvantaged Namibians. In Zimbabwe, construction has started on a US $54-million, 45 MW solar PV facility at Zimbabwe Platinum Mines (Zimplats). The EPC contractor, Distributed Power Africa expects the plant to be operational in the first half of 2027. The new facility will expand Zimplats' total installed solar capacity to 80 MW. In South Africa, key project milestones continue to emerge, with Sturdee Energy reaching financial close on the R2-billion, 91.2 MW Bela Bela Solar Park in Limpopo Province. The facility will wheel power to a major gold mining company in South Africa. Meanwhile, registration of large-scale, private, renewable energy projects with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) is booming, with 73 projects of 100 MW or more having been registered to date - 26 wind and 47 solar. As of October 2025, this robust pipeline of large-scale, private solar PV and wind projects has now tipped 16 GW of capacity, comprising 11 GW of solar PV and 5 GW of wind. The next 12 to 24 months will be crucial in turning capacity registrations and tenders into operational megawatts feeding into the grid. As one regional expert recently noted, Africa may possess “60 % of the world's optimal solar resources,” yet this natural endowment remains under-utilised.

5. Upstream O&G progress in Nam and Moz while SA faces looming gas crunch.

Southern Africa is witnessing a flurry of oil and gas developments that point to both opportunity and risk for the region's fossil fuel sector. In Namibia, Galp is in the final stages of selecting a buyer for a 40% operating stake in its Mopane oil-field project. TotalEnergies and Chevron are reported to be leading bidders, with the 10 billion-barrel-plus assets in Namibia's Orange Basin seen as a potential game-changer. Meanwhile in Mozambique, the government expects to conclude negotiations shortly with TotalEnergies on an offshore gas-project deal, signalling increasing momentum in the country's LNG export ambitions. Back in South Africa, a landmark High Court ruling has upheld the invalidation of Shell's offshore drilling authorisation in Block 5/6/7, reinforcing the growing regulatory and environmental constraints facing oil and gas exploration in the country. At the same time, the Industrial Gas Users' Association Southern Africa (IGUA-SA) is sounding the alarm over government inaction over a looming “gas cliff” in the country. Dwindling supplies from the Mozambican Pande-Temane gas-fields and delayed new sources mean that gas-dependent industries could face major disruptions. In the absence of a national Gas Masterplan for South Affrica, IGUA-SA has released its own Gas Roadmap for South Africa 2025-2042. The convergence of these developments presents a complex portrait: Namibia may become a new oil frontier if Mopane advances, Mozambique is seeking to expand its LNG ecosystem, while South Africa is grappling with both regulatory headwinds and supply constraints in the gas market. Execution will hinge on security of supply, regulatory clarity, environmental compliance and investment certainty. For South Africa especially, the message from industry is urgent: unless new gas sources and infrastructure are secured quickly, the country's manufacturing base and energy transition ambitions could suffer.

6. Dion George fallout deepens as axed minister set to file defamation claim.

South Africa's environmental leadership hit turbulence this week after the country's Forestry, Fisheries & Environment Minister Dion George was dismissed in mid-stream at the global climate summit COP30 in Belém, Brazil. President Cyril Ramaphosa accepted a request from the Democratic Alliance (DA) that George step down, naming Willie Aucamp in his place. According to statements from the Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, the dismissal was prompted by George “articulating a position on an international platform that was contrary to Cabinet's position.” However conflicting messaging on the reasons for his axing have led to strong perceptions of a coordinated smear campaign emanating from within his own party (the DA). The sudden change came while George was leading South Africa's delegation at COP30 - a timing which several civil-society groups say weakens South Africa's negotiating influence on climate and energy issues. George, in a social-media post, defended his record, saying he served “without fear, favour or prejudice” and emphasised his commitment to environmental stewardship. Meanwhile, civil society organisations flagged the shift as a potential setback for South Africa's role on the global climate stage, amidst urgent calls for climate finance and adaptation support. On 21 November, George further announced his intention to sue several media outlets (and possibly also persons within the DA) for defamation, signalling that he disputes the misconduct and insubordination allegations that featured prominently in the public narrative.  Analysts warn that the episode raises broader questions about the politicisation of environmental portfolios, the coherence of South Africa's climate diplomacy, and the internal governance dynamics of the Government of National Unity (GNU) coalition. With global scrutiny on the just energy transition and biodiversity policy mounting, the timing and manner of George's removal may have repercussions beyond domestic politics, potentially denting South Africa's credibility in international climate forums.

7. Energy Performance Certificates set to reshape SA's building efficiency landscape.

South Africa's drive to improve energy efficiency in the built environment is entering a decisive phase as the 7 December 2025 deadline for the display of mandatory Building Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) approaches. Government has intensified calls for building owners to register and certify qualifying buildings, warning that national compliance remains uneven despite rapidly rising registration numbers. Speaking at a recent EE Business Intelligence EPC webinar, Electricity & Energy Deputy Minister Samantha Graham-Maré stressed that the single most important step for owners is registration, even where data is incomplete. “Rather be registered with imperfect information than unregistered with perfect intentions,” she said, noting that 8196 buildings are registered and 4539 EPCs issued to date. Engineering News reports growing urgency across the property sector, with EPCs increasingly viewed not as a regulatory burden but as a strategic tool to cut operating costs, enhance market value and benchmark performance. The certificates grade buildings from A to G based on measured energy intensity, creating South Africa's first national baseline for building energy use. Early data already reflects more than 2489 GWh of annual consumption captured in the system. However, government acknowledges significant capacity constraints. Only 81 accredited EPC professionals are currently registered, prompting SANEDI's large-scale skills-development programme, which has already trained 232 new graduates toward a target of 500. Buildings within scope include public buildings of 1000 m² or more and private buildings above 2000 m², covering categories such as offices, instruction, entertainment, sport and public assembly. While the deadline “will not be extended”, Graham-Maré emphasised that compliance will be phased, with registration serving as the gateway to support, inspections and eventual certification. Analysts note that EPCs could become a cornerstone of future carbon-reporting, investment and energy-retrofit policies, positioning South Africa's property sector for deeper decarbonisation as energy costs continue to rise.

8. From waste to watts: landfill gas in Cape Town and solar micro-grid in Mossel Bay.

While many municipal electricity distributors face massive mounting arrear debt, a few local government entities are stepping up renewable-energy innovation, as two Western Cape municipalities launch pioneering projects that combine sustainability, cost-savings and energy resilience. The Coastal Park Landfill gas-to-energy plant in the City of Cape Town officially powered up in November 2025. Commissioned at a cost of around R93-million, it extracts methane via perforated wells and channels the gas to generate approximately 15.6 GWh of electricity per year, most of which is fed into the grid - enough to supply roughly 4300 households. The City plans an additional R82-million investment over the next three years to replicate the model at other landfill sites, while R36-million in carbon-credit revenue has already been generated. Meanwhile, the solar-PV + micro-grid project at the Hartenbos Waste Water Treatment Works in the Mossel Bay Municipality was unveiled in early November 2025. The R112-million hybrid system spans 3.5 hectares, and includes 4536 solar PV panels generating 2.1 MVA, a battery-energy-storage system (BESS) rated at 2.75 MVA / 4.6 MWh, and a 1.6 MVA diesel backup generator. It is designed to maintain uninterrupted operations during severe grid disruptions - offering a model of municipal infrastructure resilience as security of supply and electricity cost pressures mount. Together, these projects underscore how municipalities do not have to simply be passive distributors and consumers of power, but active innovators in the energy transition. The Cape Town initiative tackles landfill-methane emissions while reducing bulk electricity purchases, and the Mossel Bay scheme anchors vital municipal services in clean, dependable energy. With South Africa's broader energy-security and decarbonisation aims under strain, these locally-led interventions offer tangible examples of project innovations for what many argue must scale nationwide.