A facilitation platform for clean energy investment

Inside the Energy One Stop Shop

The Energy One Stop Shop (EOSS) – a facilitation platform for clean energy investment – was born out of a critical need to unlock regulatory bottlenecks that were delaying energy project approvals, particularly in the renewable space. +Impact chatted to EOSS head, Lester Bouah.

Lester Bouah, Head: Energy One Stop Shop, Invest South Africa, Department of Trade, Industry and Competition

How did the InvestSA Energy One Stop Shop (EOSS) come into being, and what is its primary objective?
The Energy One Stop Shop was launched in June 2023 under the Presidential Energy Action Plan, coordinated by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) through InvestSA. EOSS’ primary objective is to serve as a single-window facilitation platform that streamlines and accelerates the development of energy infrastructure by:

  • Coordinating regulatory approvals across entities like DMRE, DFFE, SANRAL and municipalities;
  • Providing project development support to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and embedded generation developers; and
  • Acting as a bridge between investors, government departments, and state-owned companies to accelerate bankable energy projects.

Given South Africa’s strained electricity system, how does EOSS perceive its role in ensuring a greener, more agile and investor-friendly energy sector in South Africa?
EOSS sees itself as a strategic enabler of South Africa’s energy transition and economic recovery. By reducing regulatory lead times and aligning stakeholders, we ensure that private sector investment flows more efficiently into grid-connected and distributed generation. We support a greener and more agile energy sector by:

  • Fast-tracking renewable energy projects across the value chain, from generation to battery storage;
  • Supporting grid expansion, land access and wheeling frameworks; and
  • Creating regulatory certainty through platforms like the Single Window Application Portal (SWAP), currently in development.

Ultimately, we aim to position South Africa as an investor-friendly hub for clean energy deployment and manufacturing – consistent with the South African Renewable Energy Master Plan (SAREM) and Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP).

Recently, you attended the South African Investment Conference in Beijing – can you tell us a little about the renewable energy aspects discussed?
The SA Investment Conference in Beijing was a timely platform to engage China – a global leader in renewable energy value chains. Our focus was on:

  • Localisation opportunities: We highlighted South Africa’s intent to attract component manufacturers in solar PV, inverters and battery cells;
  • SEZ-based partnerships: Discussions were held around Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and Western Cape as ideal hubs for green tech investment; and
  • Green hydrogen: There was strong interest in participating in projects like Coega Green Ammonia and the Vaal Hydrogen Valley Innovation Hub.

These conversations confirmed that South Africa is seen as a credible and strategic market for renewable energy manufacturing and deployment.

Please share some highlights from your presentation “Enhancing Regulatory Support for Energy Projects” at the 2025 African Energy Indaba.

At the African Energy Indaba 2025, I emphasised:

  • That regulatory efficiency is now a national competitiveness issue. Investors need predictable, coordinated and time-bound approvals;
  • EOSS is delivering by introducing structured case management tools and digital tracking of applications across departments;
  • Early wins from our support to IPP and embedded generation developers across Free State, Gauteng and the Northern Cape; and
  • I also introduced the concept of a “Green Corridor” approval model – where SEZ-linked energy projects can follow a streamlined, fast-tracked regulatory pathway.

What successes has EOSS achieved since its establishment in June 2023? Have you encountered any challenges?

Among EOSS’ successes, we have:

  • Supported over 21 active energy projects – including more than 2085 MW (2GW) of private-sector capacity in development;
  • Helped unblock land access and permitting delays for several large-scale solar PV and battery storage projects;
  • Established regulatory working groups across DALRDD, DWS, DMRE, DFFE and municipalities to address disconnects; and
  • Introduced a Project Facilitation Framework now used by key departments.

Challenges include:

  • Fragmentation across government agencies, which remains a constraint;
  • Municipal-level regulatory readiness, especially on wheeling and licensing, which is uneven; and
  • A need for greater digitisation of application workflows, which the SWAP system is intended to address.

Looking ahead, what are EOSS’ long-term goals?

Our long-term vision is to institutionalise EOSS as the premier facilitation platform for clean energy investment in South Africa. Key goals include:

  • Launching the Single Window Application Portal (SWAP) nationally by 2026;
  • Supporting the implementation of SAREM, especially localisation in the battery and green hydrogen value chains;
  • Expanding our scope to include municipal infrastructure, energy storage and demand-side interventions; and
  • Enhancing investor confidence by reducing average project approval timelines by at least 40%.

We aim to ensure that South Africa is not only working towards becoming energy-secure, but also globally competitive in clean energy manufacturing and innovation. www.energyoss.gov.za/

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