With load shedding largely stabilised, Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has turned his attention to improving energy availability and expanding South Africa’s energy mix.

Presenting the first budget for the newly formed ministry to the National Assembly, Ramokgopa outlined a forward-looking agenda that places significant emphasis on gas-to-power initiatives.

The upcoming year will see the introduction of new bid windows for renewable energy, battery storage and gas-to-power programmes. Gas is expected to take centre stage, with plans underway to develop a national master plan and implementation framework.

This is in response to what analysts describe as a looming gas supply crisis caused by the depletion of local reserves, declining imports and delays in infrastructure development.

While the minister expressed confidence in reaching a 70 percent energy availability factor by the end of the financial year, some political parties remain doubtful about the feasibility of this target.

The ministry is also revisiting South Africa’s nuclear energy plans. According to Ramokgopa, many countries around the world are viewing nuclear energy not only as a source of clean and reliable power, but also as a strategic tool to strengthen energy independence, drive technological progress and enhance industrial competitiveness.

Despite improvements in generation capacity, an estimated 1.6 million households in South Africa still lack access to electricity.

Ramokgopa acknowledged that significant work remains to be done to expand the transmission network and improve the ageing distribution system to ensure more inclusive and reliable energy delivery across the country.