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
Reappointed Nyati links Eskom unbundling to board’s new top priority of electricity affordability 
By: Terence Creamer 25th September 2026 Eskom chairperson Dr Mteto Nyati, whose term has been extended by a further three years, says the board’s top priority has shifted from... →
What South Africa’s major parties are promising voters in the 2026 local elections
By: Africa Check 25th September 2026 South Africans vote in local government elections on 4 November 2026. From water and electricity to refuse collection and roads, local government... →
Public call for submissions: systemic investigation into the human rights impact of delayed development of informal settlements in the North West province
23rd September 2026 The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/the Commission) has initiated a systemic investigation into the human rights impact of delayed... →
Infrastructure Vandalism as a Human Rights Crisis: Copper Cable and Scrap Metal Theft, Regulatory and Enforcement Gaps, and the Erosion of Socio-Economic Rights
21st September 2026 The brief calls for infrastructure vandalism and illicit metals trading to be understood not only as criminal and economic concerns, but as matters... →
SACP pledges its solidarity with Cosatu following the adjournment of its National Congress
18th September 2026 The South African Communist Party (SACP) notes the adjournment on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, of the 15th National Congress of the Congress of... →
South Africa secures $1bn loan from NDB for reform of metro trading services – Treasury
By: Schalk Burger 15th September 2026 South Africa has signed a $1-billion loan agreement with development finance institution the New Development Bank to upgrade metropolitan municipal... →
The ANC’s “re-municipalisation” plan will cost you more
14th September 2026 The ANC wants your municipality to do more itself. It calls this “re-municipalisation”: bringing outsourced services such as cleaning, security,... →
South Africa’s 3% inflation goal is robust, Central Bank study shows
By: Bloomberg 9th September 2026 South Africa’s 3% inflation target can withstand a range of economic shocks as expectations have become better anchored and more forward-looking,... →
Gambia protesters burn tyres to denounce power cuts
By: Reuters 8th September 2026 Police used tear gas to disperse protesters who gathered overnight in multiple locations in Gambia, including near President Adama Barrow's... →
Businesses not yet feeling the effect of reforms, as confidence drops – BLSA
By: Schalk Burger 7th September 2026 Businesses are unfortunately not yet feeling the impact of structural reforms on the ground, with felt progress important in the move toward a new... →
