Q: Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA) specialises in supporting local government climate action and sustainability planning – please tell us more about the organisation and its goals.

Simisha Pather-Elias: Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA) is a South African non-profit established in 2000 to combat the climate crisis, address South Africa’s energy-intensive economy, and rectify the unequal energy distribution within the country. SEA has been instrumental in bringing the concept of energy thinking (as opposed to just electricity) into city strategic planning. Recognising the multifaceted nature of the energy-climate-poverty nexus, SEA’s mission is to enhance access to safe and affordable energy services through energy-efficiency measures and transitioning to sustainable energy sources like solar power.

SEA emphasises the crucial role of local government in sustainable energy transitions, providing support through capacity building, policy engagement and research. Key focal areas include transitioning from centralised fossil fuel-based energy, ensuring equitable energy distribution, addressing carbon-intensive urban form and mobility, and bolstering climate resilience.

Our current work focuses on advancing ambitious sustainable energy transitions, spurred on by the prevailing global energy technology disruptions, the national energy crisis, the electricity market liberalisation and the growing urgency of the climate crisis. SEA’s approach of helping others develop their own knowledge and understanding, and its core practice of responsivity, is key to building trusting relationships that form the basis for changing attitudes and gaining goodwill for taking forward low-carbon and equitable thinking and practice in Cities.

Ceiling retrofit in a low-income house in Langa, Cape Town.

Q: What are the key challenges South African municipalities face in implementing sustainable energy initiatives, and how can they overcome these challenges effectively?

SP-E: Globally, the energy transition is well underway and South Africa is at the forefront. This is a result of the climate commitments of the country, but also rapidly accelerated by the domestic energy security issues (i.e., load shedding). Municipalities, as the providers of key services such as water and electricity, need to act at a scale and pace that is required to buffer the country against energy challenges and climate-related impacts.

Addressing the challenges of implementing sustainable energy initiatives in South African municipalities is indeed multifaceted. Our major Cities are reliant on the revenue from the volumetric sales of electricity to cross-subsidise electricity and other services to poor households, so one of the major challenges is how to manage and overcome this through changing business models and associated tariffs. Key hurdles include the need for improved data management, limited financial resources, gaps in governance and policy, technical and staff capacity constraints, and ensuring community engagement.

To overcome these, municipalities can start by enhancing their energy data-management systems. This foundational step involves building robust platforms for collecting, monitoring and analysing energy data. The electricity cost-of-supply study is critical in reshaping the electricity business so there is a decoupling of the costs for the units of electricity sold and the cost of the infrastructure needed to deliver the service. Technical capacity is critical to this. Investing in training and development for municipal staff equips them with the necessary skills to implement and manage and review sustainable energy projects effectively. Many Cities have partnerships with academic institutions to undertake research and analysis.

Financially, exploring a mix of funding avenues is crucial. Given that municipalities are cash-strapped and that the fiscus is throttled, it is now more important than ever that municipalities practise prudent financial management and explore innovative funding models. This can be achieved through donor funding such as that which will be channelled through the Just Energy Transition Implementation Plan. Cities can also leverage private funding through private-public partnerships, to provide incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy investments. However, none of this is possible without clearly identified needs and concepts, good governance and the required supporting regulatory measures.

Lastly, engaging with citizens and business is essential. Sustainable energy initiatives succeed when they’re built on the needs and input of local communities. It’s about fostering a sense of ownership and participation, ensuring initiatives are not only implemented, but sustained over time. Learning and collaborating with communities and building on existing initiatives not only strengthens success, but also amplifies previous achievements. Municipalities need to ensure that there is long-term monitoring to ensure that the objectives continue to be achieved.

An electricity substation in Cape Town.

Q: Can you cite some examples of successful projects implemented by municipalities – what lessons can other municipalities learn from these initiatives?

SP-E: South African municipalities have demonstrated successful sustainable energy initiatives, particularly in the metro municipalities where large-scale projects have been implemented. These initiatives serve as valuable examples for other municipalities seeking to follow suit and showcase how pioneering South African cities are setting global best practice. Numerous case studies have been developed to showcase these successes, facilitating global knowledge exchange and providing lessons for replication.

A recent example is from the City of Johannesburg, which is in the process of implementing its Climate Action Plan. The City is embarking on data collection and setting up systems to monitor progress for various initiatives that are both implemented by the City itself, and by business, civil society and communities, especially the youth. In so doing, the City is learning that by engaging these sectors, municipalities can not only unlock and mobilise actions at scale, but can also galvanise society through a sense of purpose and ownership.

Another example is the work undertaken by SEA on the municipal small-scale embedded generation readiness programme (SSEG) (see graph below). This was initiated close to a decade ago to upskill municipalities across the country on establishing policies, tariffs and systems for private-sector embedded generation uptake. Initially resistant to change and the perceived threat of revenue loss from electricity sales, municipalities are now learning that if set up correctly and they work collaboratively with their customers, trust can be built, and they can maintain municipal finances and further unlock financial opportunities, and enhance energy security at the local level.

These examples demonstrate that with the right combination of policy support, community engagement, innovative financing and a willingness to explore new solutions, municipalities can successfully implement sustainable energy initiatives and serve as models for others to follow. For further information and case studies, visit the Urban Energy Website at www.cityenergy.org.za.

SEA – C40 City Technical Officers visiting NZC buildings in Beijing, China.

Q: How do local municipalities navigate the complexities of policy frameworks and regulations to drive meaningful climate action and sustainable planning?

SP-E: Successfully tackling these complexities requires a strategic approach, blending understanding, advocacy, partnerships, innovation and expertise. SEA supports municipalities by undertaking research to understand these complexities and various policy implications. By working with government, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), and other experts, vertical alignment of policies can be unpacked to strengthen capacities at the local level to ensure alignment both vertically and horizontally. Aligning local efforts with these policies ensures compliance and, more importantly, leverages national priorities for local benefit. For this reason, municipalities should actively engage in policy discussions, using their on-the-ground experience to advocate for practical regulations that accommodate local sustainability efforts. Participation in government dialogues can help shape policies to support municipal initiatives. Therefore strengthening capacities through capacity building and knowledge sharing is critical.

Training programmes, alongside sharing best practices through knowledge platforms, deepen understanding and foster a culture of sustainability. As an example, SEA, together with SALGA and the South African Cities Network, hosts the Urban Energy Network as a sharing space for municipalities. This network has been running for more than a decade and has been critical to knowledge dissemination and peer learning.

Partnerships are also key. To leverage resource availability, municipalities need to partner and collaborate with each other as well as with academic institutions, NGOs and the private sector for technical and legal expertise to catalyse innovation methods. Such partnerships strengthen the case for policy support at the local level, pooling knowledge and solutions.

Finally, municipalities must undertake piloting to learn and demonstrate successful implementation to advocate for supportive policy changes. This approach ensures that local initiatives position municipalities as proactive change agents that reflect local needs in broader policy contexts.

This image and below: A micro-grid pilot in Alexandra, Johannesburg.

Q: What role do partnerships between municipalities, private-sector entities and community organisations play in advancing sustainable energy agendas at a local level?

SP-E: Collaborations like these are instrumental in advancing sustainable energy agendas at a local level, leveraging the strengths and resources of each partner to drive innovation, share knowledge and implement practical solutions.

An example is the iShack Project, a collaboration between the Stellenbosch Local Municipality, the Sustainability Institute at the University of Stellenbosch, and a locally based environmental social enterprise. The initiative runs a community-owned solar energy project and implements an energy efficiency programme in an informal unelectrified community in Stellenbosch. The municipality provides funding via the Free Basic Electricity grant, the university does the research and provides technical expertise for solar PV and energy-saving devices, and iShack installs and provides the energy-efficient appliances, and mobilises local residents to invest in and benefit from the project. This partnership not only expands access to clean energy, but also creates economic opportunities through local job creation and strengthens community resilience. The model is expanding to other cities in the country.

Q: Have you encountered any exciting examples of municipalities – or departments within municipalities – doing something different, new, or experimental?

SP-E: Energy efficiency in buildings – implemented by SEA, the progressive, C40-led South African Buildings Programme has the four large metro municipalities of Tshwane, Cape Town, eThekwini and Joburg committed to the target of all new buildings being net zero carbon by 2030, and all existing buildings by 2050. The aim is to accelerate the development and implementation of transformational building energy efficiency policies and programmes that advance the national regulations on energy efficiency for buildings. It requires that cities work cross-departmentally to establish and implement the policy and processes. More information is available on www.smartbuildings.org.za.

Renewable energy development – the City of Cape Town is spearheading lots of initiatives to strengthen energy security and decarbonise. These involve being the first city to initiate building its own large-scale solar power plants; incentivising embedded generation through cash payments to customers (not just crediting of electricity bills); and undertaking wheeling projects – which allow customers to buy electricity from a producer directly by utilising the municipal electricity lines.

Electrification for informal settlements – in a first-of-its-kind micro-grid installation project, the City of Joburg and City Power are providing electricity to informal households in Alexandra township, Johannesburg, through a micro-grid solar PV project. www.sustainable.org.za