More than 800 Megawatts (MW) of wind energy facility registrations were recorded in 2026.
This is expected to surpass 1 Gigawatts (GW) brought by companies in the private and public sectors by year-end.
Speaking to stakeholders in the wind and renewable energy sector, at a conference (WINDABA), in Cape Town, Titania Stefanus-Zincke, Interim CEO of the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) said “with around 3 GW of wind required year-on-year to 2030, the time to build the pipeline and the grid – including the capacity, logistics and skilled workforce to support it – is now, not later. At this 15th Windaba, let this be the moment we stop asking what matters and start implementing.”
The launch of the wind energy sector’s analysis of the Integrated Resource Plan 2025 (IRP2025), was on Monday.
Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Minister of Electricity & Energy, said “implementing WATT Matters at the intersection of Policy, Power and People.”
Ramokgopa said the strategy aims to move beyond grid decarbonization to fuel the next generation of economic transformation, inclusion, growth, job creation and industrialisation.
Inside the People’s Pavilion with Globeleq, women met at a session themed “Watt a Woman: Behind the Energy Modelling Landscape.”
Speaking at that session, Dr Nandi Malumbazo from Wits Business School, spoke about impact and the next generation of energy professionals.
“There is no specialised degree that you can get on energy policy and regulation in this country, other than the course we have at Wits Business School. The course content we design is based on my experience in the sector and my contribution towards energy policy and regulation.”
Picture: Supplied