Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has announced that government will review the state’s current electricity pricing framework with a revised policy to be released for public consultation within 21 days of March 24.
Speaking during a National Assembly plenary, Ramokgopa said the review intends to respond to increasing pressure on electricity affordability while maintaining the long-term sustainability of the sector.
“The department recognises that the current pricing framework must evolve to better balance affordability with the long-term sustainability of the sector,” he added.
Ramokgopa confirmed that the revised policy will be published for public consultation within 21 days, initiating a formal process to reassess the pricing framework.
The announcement was made alongside updates on efforts to address load reduction, which the minister described as a localised network protection measure caused by sustained overloading of distribution infrastructure rather than a generation shortfall.
This overloading is driven by factors including illegal connections, meter bypassing and infrastructure degradation, the minister said.
At its peak, 971 feeders affecting approximately 1,69 million customers were placed under load reduction. In response, government has implemented a phased programme aimed at eliminating load reduction by the end of the current financial year, supported by interventions such as smart meter deployment, network strengthening and feeder stabilisation.
Ramokgopa said, as of March, over 140 feeders have been restored against an initial target of 271 for the year.
Further details on the revised electricity pricing policy are expected when the consultation document has been released.
