South Africa needs take a radically different path if it is going to make its economy more inclusive. It must start from the premise that markets are intrinsically skewed to historic privilege.
South Africa’s new energy plan shows a greater reliance on gas, solar and especially wind power.
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A closer look into the latest financial numbers of South Africa’s state power utility, Eskom, suggest that it may be in a more vulnerable position than appreciated.
South African consumers are paying far too much for petrochemicals products.
REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
The idea of giving South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma amnesty in exchange for early exit is tempting but it will set a bad precedent.
Koeberg power station, in Cape Town, is the only nuclear power station on the African continent. South Africa is considering a proposal to build more such power stations.
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South Africa’s Parliamentary Budget Office had 10 months to prepare its findings about the cost of a nuclear programme. Its final report was little more than a summary of other institutions’ work.
Load shedding has stopped in South Africa over the last year but that doesn’t mean the country’s power problems are all gone.
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It would be better to proactively restructure South Africa’s electricity sector to spur innovation and investment and reduce costs before another crisis hits and further derails the economy.
Energy in South Africa did not feature as a major part of the 2016 budget speech – unlike in 2015.
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South Africa has been slow to adopt renewable energy sources. One option, which has proved successful elsewhere, would be to install solar photovoltaic panels on rooftops in low-income areas.
South Africa is considering new nuclear power stations to supplement the Koeberg plant near Cape Town.
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Shifting South Africa’s economy from energy intensive sectors to those with lower energy consumption will take more time, and even more funding. But the impact will be more permanent and sustainable.
Since its launch in 2011, South Africa’s renewable energy programme has brought a diversity of new players and sources of investment to the country.
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South Africa has won global recognition for its renewable energy programme, but will it succeed in balancing the demands of financial and commercial soundness, and the transformation agenda?