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The Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy has welcomed the Department of Electricity and Energy’s plan to electrify over 1,6 million households by the year 2030.
 
The committee received a briefing yesterday from the department on the Integrated National Electrification Programme (INEP), a government initiative for the electrification of households countrywide to reach universal access to electricity by 2030.
 
The department’s deputy Director-General for Programmes and Projects, Mr Thabo Kekana, said that according to the 2022 census there has been remarkable improvement in access to electricity in South Africa. However, he added that connection rollout is consistently outpaced by the rising demand for new electrification.
 
He said despite the department’s successes to date, some 1.6 million households are still without electricity, according to StatsSA information. He told the committee that if illegal connections are added to that number, the real backlog could reach about three million households that are without a metered supply of electricity.
 
The committee heard that with 94.7% of households now electrified, South Africa stands as a beacon of progress in expanding energy access. The department reaffirmed its strategic commitment to achieving universal access to electricity by 2030. The committee heard that R3.9 billion has been allocated in the current financial year through INEP to connect the remaining 1.6 million unelectrified households.
 
The department told the committee that it would introduce measures to ensure that poor communities are cushioned against high electricity costs. The Free Basic Electricity policy and tariff structure will be reviewed, as the current 50Kwh does not last a month. The department said innovative technological solutions will be rolled out to provide much needed relief.
 
The committee welcomed the department’s commitment to present a concrete funding model for the programme to the committee. The committee Chairperson, Ms Nonkosi Mvana, said: “We appreciate the briefing but it is not the end of the story. We will continue to engage the department and monitor the progress until all the remaining households are connected to electricity.”

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy, Nonkosi Mvana