Background to the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM)

The South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM) is one of 14 industry-specific masterplans led by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) to develop an industrial plan for the renewable energy sector. The process involves a collaboration between government, industry, and labour to identify investment and job creation opportunities linked to the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). The development is structured in two phases: a research and consultation phase using three policy scenarios to quantify market size, and a writing phase to prioritise actions and policy levers. Oversight is provided by an Executive Oversight Committee chaired by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, supported by an Industry Working Group and Industry Reference Groups.

• SAREM is part of a broader industrial strategy led by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), being one of 14 industry-specific masterplans initiated since July 2019.
• The masterplan aims to link the renewable energy sector's investment and job creation potential to the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), while addressing impediments and designing supportive policies.
• The first phase of development uses three scenarios to quantify the renewable energy 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 entirely replaced.
• The governance structure for SAREM includes an Executive Oversight Committee (EOC) chaired by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, an Industry Working Group (IWG) for broad stakeholder interface, and Industry Reference Groups (IRG) for technical guidance.

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} }