South Africa’s Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has said that his Ministry will collaborate with Eskom to facilitate South Africa’s transition to renewable energy as a part of the country’s plan to mobilize various other players.
George emphasized that if Eskom extends its commitment to waiving registration fees and providing free smart meters for residential Small-Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) systems beyond March 2026, it would offer families much-needed certainty about their solar installation plans. Ensuring that cost concerns do not hinder adoption would be a crucial step in reducing South Africa’s reliance on coal and accelerating the transition to renewable energy.
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“We stand ready to collaborate with Eskom, and the private sector to deliver practical, long-term solutions that hasten this energy transition. A sustainable future is within reach, but it demands bold, consistent action—starting with the permanent removal of financial disincentives that hinder residential renewable energy adoption,” George said.
The Minister further stated that this measure would help households and make rooftop solar installations much easier, eliminating upfront costs for increasing the adoption of clean energy. However, he warned that, after the reinstatement of fees post-March 2026, they may create a major barrier to financial access, discouraging an investment into solar power at a time when immediate ramping-up is needed.
It was noted that the implementation of the 12.74% tariff increase applied to direct customers by Eskom further tightens the argument for renewable energy. Therefore, George called upon Eskom to show its efforts toward achieving a just energy transition with uncompromising finance clearance from constituents that slow down the movement towards renewable energy.
