SOIF D’ÉLECTRICITÉ

The report examines the failure of South Africa's electrification policies to translate physical infrastructure into socio-economic development due to a lack of affordability. It introduces the concept of 'enabling access' and the 'Minimum Threshold Level of Consumption' (MTLC), arguing that current policies like Free Basic Electricity (FBE) are insufficient. The authors propose a 'Food First Approach' where households below the upper poverty line receive 350 kWh of free electricity monthly to prevent them from sacrificing nutrition for energy.

• Physical electrification does not guarantee socio-economic development; only 'universal enabling access'—where users can afford a minimum threshold of electricity—leads to significant benefits.
• The authors propose a Minimum Threshold Level of Consumption (MTLC) for South African households, estimated at 350 kWh per month, to catalyze sustainable socio-economic development.
• The current Free Basic Electricity (FBE) policy, providing 50 kWh per month, is inadequate as it does not allow for electric cooking and fails to support job creation or poverty exit.
• Energy poverty in South Africa creates a causal link to food insecurity, as poor households often reduce food spending to pay for electricity.
• The cost of providing 350 kWh free to 9 million households is estimated at approximately 81 billion rands annually, requiring an additional 67 billion rands from the national budget.
• The current municipal budget model, which relies on electricity sales for up to 37% of operating expenses, creates a conflict of interest that prioritizes revenue maximization over affordability.
• Lack of affordable electricity leads to dangerous illegal connections and high indoor air pollution from fuels like paraffin and coal, contributing to approximately 1,400 child deaths annually in South Africa.

APA

Ledger, T., & Rampedi, M. (n.d.). SOIF D’ÉLECTRICITÉ. Public Affairs Research Institute. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SOIF-DELECTRICITE-12-07-24-digital.pdf

Chicago

Ledger, Tracy, and Mahlatse Rampedi. SOIF D’ÉLECTRICITÉ. Public Affairs Research Institute, n.d. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SOIF-DELECTRICITE-12-07-24-digital.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ledger |first1=Tracy |last2=Rampedi |first2=Mahlatse |title=SOIF D’ÉLECTRICITÉ |publisher=Public Affairs Research Institute |url=https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SOIF-DELECTRICITE-12-07-24-digital.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ledgerndsoif, author = {Ledger, Tracy and Rampedi, Mahlatse}, title = {{SOIF D’ÉLECTRICITÉ}}, institution = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, url = {https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SOIF-DELECTRICITE-12-07-24-digital.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }