By: Green building Africa

South Africa has made significant progress in its energy strategy, marked by announcements from Minister of Electricity and Energy Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa on the Independent Transmission Projects (ITP) programme and the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) Bid Window 7.

The first major milestone is the pre-qualification of seven consortia for the initial phase of the ITP programme, which will fund a ZAR 25 billion portion of a planned ZAR 440 billion national transmission grid upgrade. These bidders include major international firms such as China’s State Grid International Development, Electricite de France, and Adani Power. This first phase, a crucial step in modernizing the grid to support economic growth and energy security, will involve the procurement of 1,164 kilometers of new transmission lines to unlock over 3,000 MW of new generation capacity.

In a separate but related development, Minister Ramokgopa confirmed the appointment of four new preferred bidders for solar photovoltaic projects under REIPPPP Bid Window 7. This brings the total number of selected solar PV projects to 18, with a combined capacity of 3,940 MW. The four new projects add 890 MW of capacity and represent a combined investment of ZAR 16 billion. They are projected to create 4,134 job years, commit 41% of project costs to local content, and allocate ZAR 163 million to community economic development initiatives over their 20-year lifespans.

These developments collectively represent a substantial step toward strengthening South Africa's power infrastructure, expanding its renewable energy portfolio, and promoting local investment and job creation.