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WATT THE F#*K

Electricity crisis: Here’s the light at the end of the tunnel

This week we got a four-hour respite from power cuts at the weekend. It has been an easier week, with limited pain from Stage 6. The Outlier's load shedding widget shows that we have had blackouts on 151 days of the 159 days of 2023.
Electricity crisis: Here’s the light at the end of the tunnel Image: Arek Socha, Pixabay
Ferial Haffajee
By Ferial Haffajee
9 Jun 2023
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I have been watching what Operation Vulindlela has been doing in the Presidency.

Quietly, it’s unblocking significant energy reforms. This graphic is worth a read. Our hell has an end.

Infographic: Key achievements in implementing the Energy Action Plan to date

Then, something shifted in government and business relations this week. After weeks of business leaders warning publicly that South Africa risked becoming a failed state, leading CEOs have stepped into the arena.

On Wednesday, what can only be described as a Marshall Plan was unveiled. It will work across three areas of national emergency – energy, logistics and crime/corruption.

For us energy solution searchers, this page from the presentation is a good read. A team of senior executives working with the Energy Council of South Africa is joining the government to bring a faster end to the crippling load shedding we are experiencing. They have broken their work into 10 workstreams. Anglo American’s Nolitha Fakude and Sasol’s Fleetwood Grobler run this energy crisis plan.

Model: Collaboration on the Energy Action Plan

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Comments (8)

Rod MacLeod Jun 9, 2023, 12:04 PM

This is excellent news. It took a lot of unnecessary pain to get to this, but let's hope these initiatives develop and maintain momentum!

William Stucke Jun 9, 2023, 07:28 PM

The tax incentive for individuals of 25% of Solar PV panels only (not inverters, batteries, or probably installation too) is very limited indeed. It's for 25% of this cost, up a maximum of R15,000 for an installation gets its CoC during this tax year. However, the Installer (who may not be the same entity as the Electrician giving the CoC) has to submit a Vat Invoice to SARS. So, quite a bit of jumping through hoops, with 3 different parties, to get a tax rebate of R15k. And it's only for this year, so no strategic planning possible. In very round numbers, the tax incentive will cover an 8 kW system, with R60,000 of panels and a total cost of about R200,000. So, taking R15,000 off that is only a 7.5% cost saving to the individual. My view? Could do better, Squirrel.

Ed Rybicki Jun 10, 2023, 10:41 AM

You know, then, boet! Frankly, that’s really no incentive at all. What WOULD be an incentive is a deal like a bro-in-law in Canada has, which is the State pays me the SAME rate for power I feed back, as I pay it for the other direction. Till then - I’ll just quietly enjoy the fact that load shedding only results in no geyser and no oven!

Bruce MacDonald Jun 10, 2023, 01:27 PM

Install a 1Kw geyser element and smart controller - easy peasy, and you get hot water all the time.

Miles Japhet Jun 9, 2023, 11:25 PM

No preconditions from business regarding policy reform means they will not succeed at anywhere near the level if the ANC was sincere about economic growth. Naive

Johan Buys Jun 10, 2023, 03:29 AM

It is not light at the end of the tunnel. It is also not an approaching train. It is a candle with a curved mirror or perhaps a storm lantern. My only advice is Bring You Own as much as you can. They can delay planned maintenance running up to elections but they cannot stop the avalanche of incompetence and corruption and its predictable outcome.

Ukraak17 Jun 10, 2023, 08:58 AM

Unfortunately when govt sets up a meeting to tackle crisis, it's not a collective of subject specialusts, but rather those deployees that need a travel claim, or have nothing better to do.

Nic Tsangarakis Jun 10, 2023, 04:59 AM

Lots of incremental wins that could result in an overall energy solution. Good news at last.

freda Jun 11, 2023, 12:34 PM

If this is all real, surely we can take the Karpowership deal finally, completely off the table, forever. Please!

adrian_hipgeek Jun 11, 2023, 10:21 PM

I would be ok with a 5 year Karpoweship deal with reasonable-ish cost tariffs.

mcnaughton.ca Jun 12, 2023, 09:25 AM

As always Squirrel makes grand promises and then nothing happens. Reading De Ruyters book it exposed the ANC leadership for what they really are : a bunch of old, incompetent ,corrupt men trapped in a failed ideology. They have been obstructive in terms of solving the energy crisis because with renewable energy they can't control the tenders and continue to steal like they do at all Eskom coal fired stations. Now it is clear that they will lose the election if load shedding continues so they are asking the private sector to help them. Maybe this time some good will come out of it but don't hold your breath! They are only doing it to try to survive.

Joe Soap Jun 12, 2023, 05:12 PM

What an embarrassment for the ANC. Been terrified to privatize, now they have been forced to privatize government itself. What a circus!