Electricity
Electricity is a form of energy resulting from the flow of electric charge, widely used for power generation, transmission and distribution to industrial, commercial and residential consumers. It is a fundamental utility that underpins modern economies, enabling manufacturing, transport, communications, healthcare and domestic activities. Electricity is generated from diverse sources including coal, natural gas, nuclear fission, hydropower, wind, solar photovoltaic panels and other renewables. The electricity industry encompasses generation companies, transmission system operators, distribution networks and retail suppliers, often operating under regulatory frameworks that balance investment, reliability and affordability. In many African markets, state-owned utilities dominate generation and distribution, though independent power producers and private participation are growing. Electricity supply reliability is a critical economic indicator; shortages and loadshedding can constrain growth, disrupt production and raise costs. Demand for electricity in sub-Saharan Africa is rising with urbanisation, industrialisation and expanding access, yet generation capacity and grid infrastructure often lag behind need. Tariff structures, cost-reflective pricing and subsidy reform remain contentious policy issues across the continent. The transition to lower-carbon electricity generation is reshaping investment, regulation and technology choices worldwide. Electricity markets vary from vertically integrated monopolies to unbundled, competitive structures with wholesale trading and retail choice.
Electricity Updates
Daily Podcast – July 30, 2026
By: Halima Frost 30th July 2026 Making headlines: Seiso Mohai is PIC's new chairperson; Joburg’s water and sanitation infrastructure needs to double; And, Kenya utility says... →
Distorted lens
By: Terence Creamer 24th July 2026 Transitions are never easy. They are disruptive and are often fiercely resisted. South Africa navigated its own grand political transition in 1994,... →
Daily Podcast – July 21, 2026
By: Halima Frost 21st July 2026 Making headlines: Treasury confirms signing of govt’s $1.5bn development policy loan with World Bank; Trade conditions remained tight in June; And,... →
Treasury confirms signing of govt’s $1.5bn development policy loan with World Bank 
By: Tasneem Bulbulia 21st July 2026 The South African government and the World Bank have signed a $1.5-billion Development Policy Loan Agreement aimed at supporting the country’s... →
World Bank facility extended to support water, sanitation sector reforms in South Africa
By: Schalk Burger 20th July 2026 The new $1.5-billion loan from International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to South Africa, the fourth stand-alone Development... →
Power outage hits Eikenhof booster station operations
By: Natasha Odendaal 16th July 2026 A widespread power outage following an explosion on the 11 kV power lines supplied from City Power’s Orlando switching station is impacting the... →
Sudanese return home to a capital unready to welcome them
By: Reuters 10th July 2026 In the year since the Sudanese army recaptured the capital Khartoum from a paramilitary force that had seized it at the outset of civil war in... →
The City Of Johannesburg Is Stabilising – Third-quarter Results Show Measurable Progress, Honest Accountability And A Credible Turnaround Plan
3rd July 2026 The City of Johannesburg has noted recent media reports portraying the City's third- quarter financial performance as evidence of a municipality in... →
The City’s Annual Tariff Hikes Come Into Effect, Placing Residents Under Financial Strain
1st July 2026 Today, residents of the City of Johannesburg wake up to the reality of above-inflation tariff increases coming into effect on 1 July 2026. This... →
The City’s Annual Tariff Hikes Come Into Effect, Placing Residents Under Financial Strain
1st July 2026 Today, residents of the City of Johannesburg wake up to the reality of above-inflation tariff increases coming into effect on 1 July 2026. This... →
