The Energy Council of South Africa is bringing visibility to – and promoting a more constructive narrative around – the positive impact being made through the country’s energy transition and renewables industry.

“The positive change and delivery happening across our energy sector is generally not visible to most South Africans and yet the energy transition is one of the most fundamental and rapidly evolving local and global themes,” explained Energy Council CEO James Mackay.

Much time has been spent tracking failures and what is not working, however, the time has come to start tracking the immense successes within a thriving renewable-energy sector that ranks in the top ten among developing economies for renewable-energy investments and is number one in Africa.

Unpacking this further, he said that corporate purchases of electricity from independent power producers had increased by more than 850% since 2024, and there had been a proliferation of registered electricity traders in a rapidly developing new subsector, as well as an increasing amount of gigawatts connected to the national grid, rising investment and job creation.

The electricity reform agenda, as well as the renewables industry and the energy transition, are fundamental to the growth of the economy, both from the investment in electricity and energy, but also as enablers of industrial manufacturing and mining and data centres, besides others.

“Investors need confidence and certainty around the energy transition, the energy mix, energy price and price path. It is fundamental to the success of the economy, and that is why I think we need better recognition and better awareness.”

While remaining optimistic, the council said there was a need, however, to recognise that these reforms and transitions are complex and the processes take time.

“We have come from a rapid transition out of loadshedding, which was relatively easy because you are fixing an existing system. Now we are implementing an entirely new system. It will take time,” he explained, further noting a slowing pace.

“The pace is naturally going to slow down because we are not getting the economic growth that was forecasted, and we are in this complex and difficult implementation phase, but we should not be dressing that up as conspiracy and political resistance to reform. It is just a natural progression,” he assured.

Further, South Africa continues to move more rapidly than any peer economy in terms of reform and transition.

AWARDS TO SHARPEN FOCUS

To bring more awareness to the impact of South Africa’s energy reform, the Energy Council of South Africa has launched the inaugural National Energy Awards, a platform that brings together the full energy value chain: government, utilities, private developers, financiers, technology providers, researchers and municipalities, to recognise the work that is genuinely moving the country forward.

The awards, endorsed by the Department of Electricity and Energy, will highlight and celebrate beneficial impact and rapid progress across the national electricity sector, turning individual achievements into a shared, credible national story of progress that builds confidence among investors, provides government a benchmark for what 'good' looks like and provides the sector itself a moment to “take stock of how far it has come”.

Mackay highlighted what he called great community, reform and collaboration projects, along with great innovation and research.

The National Energy Awards, across ten categories, will showcase the achievements of the renewables sector, its rapid evolution and the positive impact this is creating in the country.

The ten categories comprise: Project of the Year, Local Industry Development, Finance Deal of the Year, Technology and Innovation, Community Impact, Strategic Collaboration, Advancing Reform, Research Excellence, and Municipal Delivery.

The closing date for nominations is October 23, with the winners announced at a function on November 26, in Johannesburg.  Click here to find out more or to submit nominations.