Background to the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM)

This briefing describes the development of the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM), a collaborative industrial strategy between government, labour, and industry. The plan aims to maximize investment and job creation in the renewable energy sector, linked to the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), through a two-phase process of research (testing three policy scenarios) and action planning. Governance is led by an Executive Oversight Committee chaired by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy.

• The South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM) is one of 14 industry-specific masterplans initiated since July 2019 under an industrial strategy led by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic). The process involves a collaboration between government, labour, and industry to establish a vision, identify constraints, and propose short- and medium-term actions. In this framework, industry commits to specific investment and job creation targets, while the government commits to removing impediments to those plans.
• SAREM aims to identify and optimize job and investment opportunities in the renewable energy sector by linking them to the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which defines South Africa's expected energy capacity. Stakeholders have emphasized the urgency of this plan due to load shedding and the need for sector transformation and inclusivity.
• The development of SAREM is divided into two primary phases. Phase 1 focuses on research and consultation using three scenarios to quantify market size, jobs, and investment: one based on existing policy with optimized implementation, one based on probable policy shifts to maximize industrialization, and one based on significant restructuring where existing policy is replaced. Phase 2 involves writing the plan, creating a prioritized list of actions and policy levers to unlock short-term opportunities and identifying areas for further investigation.
• The governance and consultation structure for SAREM includes an Executive Oversight Committee (EOC) chaired by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) to oversee implementation. Other structures include an Industry Working Group (IWG) for broad stakeholder interface, Industry Reference Groups (IRG) for technical expertise on matters such as global supply chains, and direct one-on-one engagements.

APA

GreenCape (n.d.). Background to the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM). https://greencape.co.za/assets/SAREM_Background-Information_20200820.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Background to the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM). n.d. https://greencape.co.za/assets/SAREM_Background-Information_20200820.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Background to the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM) |url=https://greencape.co.za/assets/SAREM_Background-Information_20200820.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencapendbackground, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Background to the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM)}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/assets/SAREM_Background-Information_20200820.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }