Electrify the country, in particular low cost residential housing
In 1994 Parliament approved a plan to ensure equal access to basic services for all South Africans and the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) strategy was born. Eskom and the municipalities electrified approximately 2, 5 million households during 1994 to 1998. The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) was tasked to develop and oversee the implementation of the Integrated National Electrification Programme (INEP) from 1999 to 2001. Eskom was tasked by the NERSA to undertake the implementation through use of contractors and service providers.
In the year 2001 the Government decided to transfer the responsibility and implementation oversight of the electrification programme to the DoE by then it was Department of Mineral and Energy. Over 7,4 million households has been connected to grid and over 160 307 connected by non-grid technology between 1994 and 31 March 2018.
Municipalities and Eskom are responsible for reticulation and distribution of electricity to households, in their licensed supply area and they are both funded by the DoE through the INEP programme. The DoE has a number of policies emanating from the White Paper of 1998. These policies are the ones that enable electrification to be focused and also to maximize on the expected outcomes of electrification. Currently at least over 200 000 households are electrified, 20 000 to non-grid, medium voltage lines and new bulk substations per annum are constructed to extend the services to deep rural areas including the 27 Priority Districts.
The main funding of the national electrification programme is a conditional grant allocation through the National Budget (Fiscus). The DoE occasionally provides capacity building support to municipalities struggling to implement the electrification programme. However, the electrification programme experiences a number of challenges which include:
Implementation of grid connections in some municipalities starting late due to municipal financial year being July – June, whereas the department’s (National) financial year runs from April – March.
The lack of holistic infrastructure to ensure that the networks are extended in the most effective manner.
More households have to be electrified in deep rural areas where installation cost in much higher.
Lack of skills and resources in municipalities ‘technical departments to plan and manage these large electrification projects. Long procurement processes in both Eskom and municipalities delaying the start and completion of projects and the escalation of costs.
In addressing the above, the Department intends to review and monitor the Strategic Electrification Plan, ensure capacity building within the Department and in Municipalities looking at whether the current skills, knowledge, structure and personnel development are aligned to the needs of the department.
Electrification Statistics for March 2018 (DoE, 2018)
Province
Projected Households (April to March 2018)
Total Households Connected (April to March 2018)
Houses Without Electricity
Houses Electrified
Access Per Province
Eastern Cape
1 863 009
66 243
323 411
1 539 598
82.64%
Free State
909 007
4 586
123 589
785 418
86.40%
Gauteng
4 315 876
11 876
776 997
3 538 879
82.00%
Kwazulu Natal
2 803 735
70 765
485 472
2 318 263
82.68%
Mpumalanga
1 187 426
33 496
88 320
1 099 106
92.56%
Northern Cape
332 775
3 400
44 196
288 579
86.72%
Limpopo
1 565 699
58 666
22 723
1 542 976
98.55%
North West
1 172 550
16 271
158 795
1 013 755
86.46%
Western Cape
1 804 068
10 527
185 394
1 618 674
89.72%
Total
15 954 146
275 830
2 208 898
13 745 248
86.15%
Electricity access to date is at 86.15 % with growth. The province with the highest access to electricity is Limpopo with 98.55 % and lowest is Eastern Cape with 82.00%. Although electrification programme is successful in the country, funding and capacity to implement are to be priorities.
2018/19 INEP MTEF Allocations
Programme
2017/18
(R‘000’)
2018/19
(R‘000’)
2019/20
(R‘000’)
MUNIC Prog
1, 904, 477
2, 127, 928
2, 244, 964
ESKOM Prog
3, 262, 031
3, 432, 453
3, 621, 488
Non-Grid
201, 649
212, 941
224, 653
Baseline Allocation
5, 368, 157
5, 773, 322
6, 091, 105
2018/19 Allocations Per Province
Province
Municipality Programme Allocations (R’000)
Eskom Programme Allocations (R’0000)
Total
(R'000)
Eastern Cape
395 302
804 652
1 199 924
Free State
89 682
84 473
174 155
Gauteng
166 732
190 352
357 084
Kwazulu Natal
488 500
885 288
1 373 788
Limpopo
268 247
457 829
726 076
Mpumalanga
169 258
272 777
442 035
Northern Cape
121 707
162 502
284 209
North West
86 049
281 625
367 674
Western Cape
119 000
122 533
241 533
Total
1 904 477
3, 262, 031
5 166 508
National Development Plan (NDP)
According to the NDP Chapter 4 the Deparment of Energy says that between a fifth and a quarter of South Africans still have no access to the grid. The following interventions are proposed:
A thorough review of targets, planning, technology choices, funding and implementation.
Subject to costs, South Africa could for at least 90% grid connections by 2030, with alternative off-grid options offered to the remaining households for whom a connection is impracticable.
New Household Electrification Strategy
The Cabinet approved (26 June 2013) the implementing of the new Household Electrification Strategy based on the following focus areas:
The defining of universal access as 97% of households, as full electrification is unlikely to be possible due to growth and delays in the process of formalising informal settlements;
The electrification of about 90% of households through grid connection and the rest with high-quality non-grid solar home systems or other possible technologies based on cost effective options in order to address current and future backlogs;
The development of a master plan to increase efficiency in planning and the delivery process to ensure more connections.
Medium Term Strategic Framework
MTSF Targets 2014-2019 and Progress as at March 2018
