Since 2011, renewable energy projects with an installed capacity of 22,000MW have been registered as part of either the government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) or with the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) by private operators. The REIPPP programme, launched in 2011, was designed to facilitate private sector investment in renewable energy projects that connect to the national electricity grid through a competitive tender process. Since its inception, 116 projects have been approved, in seven bid windows. Ninety-one projects are operational.Thanks to years of loadshedding, private businesses and residents have invested in solar and other energy alternatives, to compensate for the unreliable electricity supply. By February 2025, Nersa had registered projects with a total installed capacity of 11,857MW – most of it solar. Nersa doesn’t provide information about whether these projects are operational.Get the data used in this chart on DataDesk