South Africa’s renewable energy industry bodies have welcomed the merging of the electricity and energy portfolios, as well as the retaining of Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa to head the ministry.
South Africa has endured crippling energy challenges over the years, as state-owned power utility Eskom struggled to keep the lights on. Given the complex nature of the process, SAWEA says it commends the president for his meticulous approach in selecting the national Cabinet of 75 ministers across 32 portfolios from all parties to form the GNU.
The association supports the separation of mineral resources and energy into two ministries, saying this enables the country to prioritise energy security with a special focus on electricity. “We believe minister Ramokgopa’s role in stabilising SA’s power supply has yielded positive results in the first half of the year. Eskom last imposed rolling power cuts on 26 March 2024, marking the longest period of energy stability in the country since 2021, and reached a significant milestone in curbing load-shedding by achieving an energy availability factor of 65.5% in April 2024.