‘Energetic’ Dialogues in South Africa: The EU Example

The policy brief examines South Africa's energy transition and its strategic partnerships, particularly with the EU. It highlights the shift toward renewable energy sources (RES) and the role of the National Energy Act of 2008 in promoting energy efficiency. While the EU is a key partner through frameworks like the Africa–EU Energy Partnership (AEEP), South Africa also diversifies its engagement via BRICS and IBSA. The document emphasizes South Africa's position as a regional energy hub through the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and argues for a trilateral approach to energy cooperation involving the EU, South Africa, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

• South Africa is transitioning its energy mix to include more clean energy, with the Department of Energy setting a target for clean energy to provide 30% of all new generation capacity by 2025.
• The South African government has implemented several policy measures to attract investment in renewables, including the 2008 National Energy Act and a 20-year renewable energy feed-in tariff introduced in 2009.
• Eskom maintains a dominant position in the domestic and regional energy markets, supplying 96% of electricity within South Africa and nearly 80% of total regional energy demands.
• South Africa acts as a regional leader and 'energy hub' through the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), which was established in 1995 by SADC Member States Utilities to improve regional energy access.
• While the EU and South Africa cooperate through the Africa–EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) and the Agreement on Trade, Development and Co-operation (TDCA), South Africa often prefers bilateral relations with individual European states for specific energy needs, such as solar energy from Spain.
• South Africa is diversifying its international strategic partnerships by increasing engagement with South–South forums, specifically BRICS and IBSA, while maintaining its ties with Northern partners.

APA

Maupin, A. (2014). ‘Energetic’ Dialogues in South Africa: The EU Example. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Policy-Briefing-85.pdf

Chicago

Maupin, Agathe. ‘Energetic’ Dialogues in South Africa: The EU Example. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2014. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Policy-Briefing-85.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Maupin |first1=Agathe |title=‘Energetic’ Dialogues in South Africa: The EU Example |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=March 2014 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Policy-Briefing-85.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{maupin2014energetic, author = {Maupin, Agathe}, title = {{‘Energetic’ Dialogues in South Africa: The EU Example}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2014}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Policy-Briefing-85.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }