KEY POINTS
- Eskom waives registration and connection fees for solar systems up to 50kVA until March 2026.
- New rules simplify compliance and reduce sign-off costs for homeowners.
- Registered users may benefit from future tariffs rewarding power exports to the grid.
South Africa’s state power utility, Eskom, has announced new measures to simplify and reduce the cost of connecting household and small business solar systems to the national grid, in a move aimed at accelerating the country’s clean energy transition.
Under the revised rules, customers with rooftop solar or other small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) systems of up to 50kVA will not be required to pay registration or connection fees until March 2026.
The changes, which came into effect on 1 October, are designed to eliminate red tape and encourage more South Africans to legally link their systems to the grid.
Eskom said the updated framework allows customers to have their solar installations certified by Department of Labour-registered electricians rather than Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) professionals, a shift that substantially cuts compliance costs for households.
Simplified Compliance to Spur Participation
Agnes Mlambo, Eskom’s acting group executive for distribution, said the initiative reflects the utility’s commitment to making the clean energy transition “simple, safe and cost-effective.”
“Many South Africans want to be part of the clean energy movement,” Mlambo said. “By reducing bureaucratic barriers and unnecessary costs, we’re making it easier for households and small businesses to do the right thing to connect safely, legally and affordably.”
The utility explained that the reform follows extensive consultations with industry stakeholders including the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association, and the Association of Municipal Electricity Distributors to ensure safety standards remain intact.
Customers with systems under 100kVA are required to register with Eskom even if they do not export electricity to the grid, in line with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) regulations. However, those who are fully off-grid and independent of Eskom’s supply are exempt.
