A good start South Africa's wholesale electricity market has been pushed back from 1 April to the third quarter of 2026, the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) said on Thursday.
NTCSA said it needed “additional work” to ensure all market, operational and regulatory requirements are in place, but did not specify what was outstanding in a statement Thursday.
A number of license conditions attached to the market operator license granted by Nersa in December 2025 are still being finalized, it said.
The delay is a blow to South Africa's electricity reform programme. The wholesale market – known as SAVEM – is the mechanism through which independent power producers, licensed traders and large buyers will be able to trade electricity competitively, breaking Eskom's long-standing monopoly as the dominant buyer and seller of electricity.
Nersa has so far licensed 10 electricity traders, including Green Electron Market, Discovery Green and Africa Greenco, in anticipation of the launch of the market. Eskom Board Chairman Mteto Nyati said last week Until an independent transmission system operator is formally established, NTCSA is acting as the market and system operator on an interim basis.
phased approach
NTCSA said it is taking a “structured, phased approach” to safeguard system stability. CEO Monde Bala said that when all requirements are met the launch of the market “will represent a significant step forward for South Africa's energy sector”.
Reading: Big step towards opening up South Africa's electricity market
The entity did not set a specific date within the third quarter, which will end September 30, 2026. – (c) 2026 NewsCentral Media
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