creamer media

One of Africa’s biggest economies, South Africa produces the most electricity on the continent and has, since the dawn of its democracy in 1994, also increased electricity provision to more than 80% of its population.

However, concerns are increasing about the stability of the national electricity grid amid prolonged loadshedding – the rationing of available electricity among users when demand outstrips supply to preserve the national grid and prevent a total collapse – as South Africa’s State-owned power utility Eskom continues to experience difficulty in meeting electricity demand.

Creamer Media's ‘Electricity 2023: Resolving South Africa’s ongoing crisis’ report offers a comprehensive examination of South Africa's electricity sector, emphasising the significant challenges posed by loadshedding and its impact on the country's economy. The report delves into Eskom's restructuring, evaluating its generation performance and continuing build programme. Additionally, it probes the intricate and contentious matters surrounding South Africa’s coal usage at a time when many countries are abandoning the fossil fuel as well as Eskom’s ever increasing electricity tariffs. The report also covers the evolving electricity landscape, shedding light on the pivotal role that independent power producers could play in shaping the nation's energy mix. Further, the report examines areas such as transmission, distribution, and electricity planning, among others.

This research draws from material published over the past 12 months and is a summary of sources of information published in Engineering News and Mining Weekly, as well as of other information available in the public domain.

This report does not purport to provide an analysis of market trends. The information in this report is correct as of July 2023.

Published on 11 August 2023.