Cape Town plans mammoth R4bn in electricity grid upgrades

(Media Release: Issued and provided by the City of Cape Town)

The City of Cape Town plans to invest more than R4bn in electricity grid upgrades and maintenance over three years as part of the City’s proposed Building for Jobs Budget for 2024/25.

This is to ensure the grid can cope with a dynamic, decentralised energy future as Cape Town aims to be South Africa’s first city to end load-shedding. 

"Any city hoping to end load-shedding simply must invest heavily in upgrading its electricity grid infrastructure. In the coming years, we will go from an Eskom monopoly to literally thousands of different power sellers, big and small, including people selling their excess solar to the City, commercial entities selling and wheeling electricity to each other, as well as big independent power producers feeding electricity into the grid at various points," said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Councillor Beverley van Reenen. 

"Progress is also being made on our advanced plans to protect against the first four stages of Eskom’s load-shedding by 2026. The City already provides load-shedding protection of up to two stages where feasible, which has been a big positive already for our regional economy," she said.

The budget comment period ends on 30 April 2024. To view the tabled budget, visit: www.capetown.gov.za/budget

View the full press release on the City of Cape Town's electricity upgrade plan here.