Is South Africas solar energy growth hindered by outdated regulations.

Show Voice Options South Africas solar energy sector is growing steadily, but not nearly fast enough to keep up with demand or the worsening national energy crisis. This is according to a 14-page GoSolr Light Paper – June 2025, that highlighted findings on solar energy in the country. The paper reported that 137,000 homes in South Africa have already installed solar systems, with 1,000 new installations per month. But instead of being supported and encouraged, solar users are being penalised through high fixed fees, forced time-of-use tariffs, and inconsistent municipal regulations. “Were still facing an energy crisis — Eskom cant produce all we need. Yet instead of encouraging solar, the system is actively placing hurdles in peoples way,” the report warns. One of the key issues raised is the tariff structures imposed by certain municipalities. This is most notable in Johannesburg. While prepaid customers in Joburg pay a fixed monthly fee of R423, solar users on postpaid systems are being forced onto time-of-use billing with fixed fees as high as R1,615 per month, and no real ability to feed power back into the grid. Cape Town allows prepaid solar users to remain on simpler billing plans and offers a feed-in tariff of R1.16/kWh, plus an incentive of R0.29/kWh.