Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa’s transition to cleaner energy is gathering momentum, with the commissioning of a major wind farm in Mpumalanga marking a significant step towards a more diversified electricity mix.
In his weekly newsletter on Monday, Ramaphosa said the first phase of the Ummbila Emoyeni wind farm, developed by Seriti Green, had entered commercial operation, describing it as evidence that local companies are driving investment in renewable energy.
“The just energy transition is gathering pace and creating opportunity,” Ramaphosa said.
The president said the project, located between Bethal, Davel and Morgenzon on the Mpumalanga Highveld, represented a shift in South Africa’s energy landscape.
“The wind turbines form part of the first phase of the Ummbila Emoyeni wind farm that entered into commercial operation last week,” he said.
Ramaphosa said the project demonstrates that “South Africa’s clean energy investments are not only being driven from abroad, but also by domestic firms with the foresight to invest in their country’s future.”
The 155MW facility will supply electricity to Seriti Resources’ coal mining operations through Eskom’s transmission network. Once complete, the 900MW hybrid energy cluster will combine wind, solar and battery storage, making it the country’s largest hybrid energy facility.
Dear Fellow South African,
On the Mpumalanga highveld, between the towns of Bethal, Davel and Morgenzon, are powerful symbols of South Africa’s energy future. Wind turbines rise above a landscape that was once dominated by the cooling towers of coal-fired power stations.
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) August 3, 2026
Ramaphosa said the development aligns with government’s goal of reducing the country’s reliance on coal while expanding renewable energy generation.
“Even though coal continues to dominate South Africa’s energy mix, the growth of renewable energy is accelerating,” he said.
Citing Statistics South Africa data, Ramaphosa said renewable energy accounted for just 2% of locally generated electricity in 2016, rising to 9% by 2024. He added that South Africa now has nearly 16GW of installed renewable energy capacity, with a further 32GW of projects expected to connect to the grid by 2030.
He also highlighted the rapid uptake of rooftop solar installations, saying the number of households with solar panels had increased by 86% over three years to 675,000 households in 2025.
Ramaphosa said reforms introduced to address load shedding had unlocked private investment in electricity generation.
“The removal of the self-generation licensing threshold and the revival of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme unlocked large-scale private investment in electricity generation,” he said.
The president said the just energy transition must not only reduce emissions but also make electricity more affordable.
“‘Going green’ must also make electricity cheaper for consumers,” Ramaphosa said.
He said government is working to establish a competitive electricity market, noting that Cabinet had approved the publication of the revised Electricity Pricing Policy and the draft Electricity Sector Market Transformation Position Paper for public comment.
Ramaphosa said the opening of the Ummbila Emoyeni facility showed how South Africa had responded to its energy crisis.
“The opening of the Ummbila Emoyeni facility in Mpumalanga and the clean energy revolution underway bear witness to a country that, even when confronted with an energy crisis, adapted, reformed and laid the groundwork for a new future,” he said.
He added that government, business, labour and civil society must work together to ensure the transition is inclusive and delivers “affordable electricity for all, now and into the future.”
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
