Johannesburg – Eskom has extended its waiver of registration-related charges for qualifying rooftop solar installations, giving customers connected directly to its distribution network more time to register their systems without paying the utility’s registration fees.
The waiver, which was due to expire on 30 September 2026, will now remain in place until further notice. It applies to customer-owned generation systems of up to 50kVA connected directly to Eskom’s network.
Eskom confirmed the extension in a statement on 30 September, saying it would remove the financial cost of registration but “does not change the underlying regulatory requirement” for qualifying grid-connected generation facilities to be registered.
Eskom Group Executive for Distribution Junaid Munshi said registration was important as more households generated their own electricity.
“Registration is a standard feature of modern electricity systems as countries integrate increasing levels of customer-owned generation into their networks.”
Eskom extends assistance to customers to register their grid-tied solar installations in the interests of safe grid integration and customer value, in line with international best practice.
Eligible customers can obtain information and begin the… pic.twitter.com/rWnc2H1RvV
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) September 30, 2026
He said the process allows customer-owned generation to be safely incorporated into the wider electricity network and would support future “bidirectional smart metering, appropriate tariffs and credits, and future flexibility services.”
The extension follows several changes to Eskom’s rooftop solar registration policy this year. News24 reported in March that the utility had already extended the waiver from 31 March to 30 September, with the concession covering registration and connection-related costs, including a smart meter. The value of the waiver was estimated at up to R10,000 for urban residential customers and R36,000 for rural customers.
The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) welcomed that earlier extension, saying it would help make rooftop solar more accessible while encouraging compliance. The organisation has also argued that registration plays a role in “worker safety, grid stability, and regulatory compliance.”
The issue has, however, been disputed by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA). In September, OUTA argued that Eskom had not clearly demonstrated the legal authority for some of its registration requirements for residential systems and maintained that a valid electrical Certificate of Compliance (CoC) remains an important legal requirement.
Completely off-grid systems
Eskom and NERSA, however, maintain that grid-connected embedded-generation systems must be registered. NERSA has stated that systems below 100kW connected to the grid must be registered with the relevant distributor, while systems of 100kW or more must be registered directly with NERSA. Completely off-grid systems with no grid connection are exempt.
The waiver applies only to customers supplied directly by Eskom. Customers whose electricity is supplied by municipalities must comply with the requirements and charges of their respective municipal electricity distributor.
Eskom said its focus was to make the process easier and more affordable, with Munshi saying: “We want to assist customers with registering qualifying installations as simply as possible while supporting the safety of customers, contractors, employees and the broader electricity network.”
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
