CEO Voice - August 2025
Dear SAWEA Members,
As we close Women’s Month, I would like to dedicate this feature to my friend and predecessor, the late Ntombifuthi Ntuli. Ntombifuthi was instrumental in driving the first South African Gender Diversity Study in Renewable Energy, which was officially launched on 29 August 2025 under the Ministry of Electricity and Energy as a national key report. As the initiator and conceptualiser of this study over five years ago, she laid the foundation for women to be more fairly represented, heard, and seen across our industry. Her vision continues to inspire SAWEA’s work, reminding us that transformation is not a parallel goal to energy transition but an integral part of it.
Turning to broader industry developments, the pace and direction of reform in the energy sector are beginning to take shape. Eskom’s commitment to deploy 2GW of construction-ready projects by 2026, scaling up to 32GW by 2040, including a dedicated Green Hydrogen focus, signals the utility’s recognition of the urgent need to expand generation capacity while building for the long term through the launch of the first Renewable Energy Offtake Programme. This represents more than a procurement mechanism; it reflects the beginning of a competitive, diversified electricity market that can attract greater investment and unlock efficiencies across the value chain. While many question remain on how this will be fairly implemented – our engagements with Eskom will focus on independence, transparency, fairness and good governance.
In parallel, the Independent Power Producer Office hosted a virtual session to engage independent power producers shortly after the launch of the first ITP Bid Window in July. It is clear that the roll-out of grid infrastructure and the reform of the public procurement framework is a priority to stimulate domestic industrial capacity, representing both opportunity and added responsibility. They present the wind industry with a chance to demonstrate readiness, while at the same time requiring us to advocate for a procurement framework that is robust, inclusive, sustainable and fit for purpose. To this end, SAWEA has circulated a REIPPP Reform survey to inform our position on public procurement reform—ensuring that the framework not only meets national energy needs but also reflects the realities and growth ambitions of the wind sector.
Equally significant are the regulatory shifts currently unfolding. NERSA’s establishment of the Electricity Market Advisory Forum, the acceleration of Electricity Trading Rules, and the revision of the NTCSA Market Code are critical developments towards building a transparent, competitive, and rules-based electricity market. These developments, coupled with Minister Ramokgopa’s recent assertion that the reform agenda is “irreversible,” send a powerful signal of stability to investors and stakeholders. For SAWEA, this is a strategic opening to embed wind energy priorities in the architecture of the new market, ensuring fair access, long-term investor confidence, and momentum for scaling the transition at pace.
The path forward will not be without challenges. Sustainable transmission infrastructure and the successful liberalisation of the electricity market will be decisive in determining the success of South Africa’s reform journey. This is why SAWEA continues to engage proactively with government departments and agencies - NERSA, NTCSA, IPPO, and the dtic’s Energy One Stop Shop - ensuring that wind energy has a strong and credible voice in shaping the policy and regulatory environment. These partnerships will converge meaningfully at Windaba 2025, where the grid conversation will be a central focus.
As we prepare for Windaba, less than two months away, I am proud to share that this year’s edition will be historic in another respect: it will be the first women-led energy conference in South Africa, with every panel moderated by female experts from across the industry. This deliberate step demonstrates our commitment to embedding gender diversity into the DNA of the sector, creating visible leadership pathways, and signalling that the transformation of South Africa’s energy landscape must be both technological and social.
The developments of the past months, both in policy and industry reform, affirm the urgency and opportunity of this moment. For SAWEA and our members, they emphasise our dual responsibility: to contribute to building an enabling procurement framework for wind energy growth, while ensuring that transformation, inclusivity, and sustainability remain at the heart of the sector’s evolution.
Happy Women’s Month to all the Women Behind the Blades!
Regards,
Niveshen Govender
CEO
