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# [AFRICA] Energy: South Africa approves 124 renewable projects — 804 MW and $1.2 billion in one quarter
- URL: https://businessoi.media/en/afrique-energie-lafrique-du-sud-approuve-124-projets-renouvelables-804-mw-et-1-2-milliard-de-dollars-en-un-trimestre-en/
- Published: 2026-09-30T02:58:31.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-30T02:58:31.000Z
- Description: NERSA approved 124 renewable projects in South Africa in Q1 2026/2027: 804 MW (122 solar + 2 wind), ZAR 20.18bn (~$1.2bn). Average processing: 10 business days. Cumulative since 2018: 20,131 MW.
- Author: Emmanuel TAOCHY
- Tags: Afrique, Investissement, Revue matinale, #en

South Africa's NERSA (National Energy Regulator) approved **124 new renewable energy installations** in the first quarter of the 2026/2027 financial year (April-June 2026), representing a total capacity of **804 MW** and a combined investment of **ZAR 20.18 billion** — approximately $1.2 billion. An unprecedented approval rate that illustrates the acceleration of South Africa's green transition.

## Solar dominant, wind providing the bulk of capacity

Of the 124 approved projects, **122 are solar photovoltaic installations** totalling 236 MW, and just 2 are wind farms — which however account for the bulk of capacity at **568 MW**. The geographic split is balanced: 63 installations connect to municipal distribution networks and 61 to Eskom's national grid.

NERSA now processes permit applications in an average of **ten business days** — a record turnaround that has unlocked the renewable investment pipeline and is attracting international developers.

## An impressive cumulative track record since 2018

Since the registration system was introduced in 2018, NERSA has approved a total of **2,619 installations** representing **20,131 MW** of cumulative capacity, with aggregate investment of **ZAR 409 billion**. These figures reflect a deep and lasting transformation of South Africa's energy mix, historically dominated by coal.

## Why it matters

South Africa remains one of the world's most carbon-intensive economies. The acceleration of renewable capacity approvals — 804 MW in a single quarter — marks a concrete operational turning point, beyond stated ambitions alone. For investors across the Indian Ocean region, it signals the direction the continental energy market is heading: renewables are no longer an option, they are the emerging norm. South Africa's execution speed is becoming a deployment model that other countries on the continent are beginning to study.