Electricity + Control

African ambassadors and senior diplomats meet with the IEA

In June Ambassadors and senior diplomats from countries across Africa met in Paris at the joint invitation of IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol and Ambassador Nkosinathi Emmanuel Mthethwa of South Africa. During the meeting they discussed priority issues for the continent's energy sector, including clean cooking, critical mineral value chains, and cooperation under South Africa’s G20 Presidency.

Medupi Unit 4 returns to service

Eskom has announced that Unit 4 of the Medupi Power Station was successfully returned to service on 6 July 2025, adding 800 MW to the national grid. This milestone strengthens South Africa’s energy security and enhances the stability of electricity supply. The unit’s return follows extensive repairs which have been completed eight months ahead of the original schedule, made possible by the use of a refurbished generator stator. This was a quicker alternative to waiting for a new component.

Solar PV industry committed to energy security for SA

The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) held its Annual General Meeting last week, on 3 July 2025, in Johannesburg, where it reaffirmed the industry's commitment to delivering an energy-secure future for everyone in the country.

Industry awards to spotlight engineering excellence

As South Africa faces the growing demand on its aging infrastructure systems and pressing service delivery challenges, the country’s future depends on bold engineering solutions and fresh innovation. Against this backdrop, Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) has announced the CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards 2025, set to be hosted on 21 August 2025 at Vodacom World in Midrand.

Tracking SDG 7 – energy progress

Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2025 finds that almost 92% of the world’s population now has basic access to electricity. Although this is an improvement since 2022, which saw the number of people without basic access decrease for the first time in a decade, over 666 million people remain without access, indicating that the current rate of progress is insufficient to achieve universal access by 2030. Clean cooking access is progressing but below the rates of progress seen in the 2010s, as efforts remain hobbled by setbacks during the Covid-19 pandemic, subsequent energy price shocks, and debt crises.

JVA to change electricity management and distribution

In a step towards redefining South Africa’s energy future, the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has signed a pioneering Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with Hong Kong-based tech company, Youtility. The partnership will introduce cutting-edge, AI-driven technology set to transform how electricity is managed and distributed, with payments handled through an intelligent, next-generation blockchain billing platform.