Mezzanine and Open Access Energy (OAE) have entered into a formal reseller agreement, bringing together two technology-driven businesses committed to advancing South Africa's liberalized electricity market. Under the agreement, OAE will market, sell and operate Mezzanine's virtual wheeling platform as part of its EnergyPro platform offering. The partnership enables corporate energy buyers, independent power producers and traders to access virtual wheeling infrastructure through a single, integrated experience.
Understanding wheeling – and why virtual wheeling matters
Wheeling is the mechanism that allows a renewable energy generator to sell power to a buyer located elsewhere on the national grid by using the existing transmission and distribution network as a conduit. Instead of building a direct physical infrastructure between the generator and the buyer, the grid delivers the electricity and the transaction is settled financially.
Gerzo Hoffmann, CEO of Open Access Energy, says that “South Africa's energy transition is accelerating, and the infrastructure to support it needs to match that pace.” He further explained that “This partnership provides our customers with access to proven wheeling technology supported by commercial and operational capabilities built in OAE.”
Jacques de Vos, CEO of Mezzanine, says that “Virtual Wheeling is an important step towards a more inclusive and competitive energy market. Our partnership with OAE is important in increasing market access to the Mezzanine Virtual Wheeling platform.”
There are two ways of running energy in South Africa and the difference between them matters a lot to buyers. Traditional wheeling is the established model. A generator supplies electricity directly to one or more off-takers, the off-takers' Eskom supply agreements are formally amended to accommodate the arrangement, and all contracts are concluded within an Eskom provincial network boundary. This model is available to end-users connected to high and medium voltage Eskom. This is a well-understood and operationally stable process, but it does require amendments to the supply agreement before procurement can commence, which can trigger additional deposit requirements and introduce contractual complexity. It also does not fully include low voltage customers and those supplied through municipalities.
Eskom's Virtual Wheeling Mechanism (https://www.eskom.co.za/distribution/virtual-wheeling/) is a new product that fundamentally expands who can participate. Rather than requiring direct bilateral arrangements between a single generator and a single off-taker, virtual wheeling allows entities to simultaneously conduct transactions on behalf of multiple Eskom or municipality-connected customers, claiming energy purchased from generators across an entire portfolio of sites. Critically, no amendments are required to the existing Eskom supply agreement, no new deposit obligations are introduced, and customers supplied through the municipality can participate on exactly the same basis as those connected directly to Eskom.
This is a meaningful change. For the first time, low and medium voltage customers, whether connected to Eskom or a municipality, can access renewable energy purchases At scale, without changing their relationship with their network provider or disrupting their existing supply arrangement in any way.
Virtual Wheeling is ideal for buyers with multiple properties, especially if they are served by different electricity suppliers (Eskom or municipalities). It's also great for those committed to reducing carbon emissions or seeking long-term, predictable energy prices. This method lets them buy renewable energy for all their locations at once (a 'portfolio' approach), and the more green energy they integrate into this portfolio, the better the financial return over time.
The complexity lies in administration. Wheeling transactions require metering data reconciliation, tariff calculation, network charge management, monthly settlement processing and regulatory compliance across multiple parties simultaneously. This is exactly the problem that technology platforms like Mezzanine's Virtual Wheeling platform and OAE's EnergyPro are designed to solve.
Partnerships built for market scale
The agreement positions both companies to meet the growing demand for renewable energy procurement solutions as more corporations seek direct access to clean energy. With increasing support for third-party wheeling in South Africa's regulatory environment, the timing reflects a market moving from pilot transactions to commercial scale.
OAE's EnergyPro platform currently serves independent power producers, energy traders and corporate off-takers South AfricaProviding infrastructure for transaction management, billing, reconciliation and portfolio optimization.
Mezzanine's Virtual Wheeling Platform solution is an established technology used to facilitate and manage Eskom Virtual Wheeling transactions at scale in the South African market.
Together, both platforms create an end-to-end capability from transaction origination and PPA structuring to metering, settlement and ongoing portfolio management. This is provided through a single integrated experience for buyers and sellers.
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