The Energy Council of South Africa announced the launch of the South African World Energy Council (WEC) member committee at Enlit Africa 2024, which is being held this week in Cape Town.

The newly formed committee aims to play a pivotal role in the South African energy landscape, bringing together high-level decision-makers from both the public and private sectors.

“We heard this morning that we are well on the road to recovering energy security and out of load shedding, but we have to rapidly shift our focus to implementing the largest sector reform we have ever undertaken. The Electricity Regulation Amendment (ERA) Bill approved by parliament last week has set the stopwatch in motion for us to transition to a market-led and decentralised energy sector. This gives clear policy direction to guide investment appetite and business confidence, but we must acknowledge that we have lost significant capacity and time so collaboration and partnerships are key to accelerating our transition,” said James Mackay, CEO of the Energy Council of South Africa.

The committee’s objectives include providing a forum for dialogue across the energy sector, being an authoritative voice on energy policies, showcasing global best practices, and offering expertise to support government regulatory bodies. Additionally, it will focus on ensuring that South Africa's energy sector remains economically viable, sustainable, affordable, efficient, and clean.

Members of the committee include:

• Peter Venn, CEO of Seriti Green
• Thabo Molekoa, CEO of Siemens Energy
• Rosalind Dos Santos, Mpact Group Energy Manager and member of the Energy Intensive Users Group (EIUG)
• Martin Mthembu, Senior Regional Electrical Engineer at Sappi
• Titus Mathe, CEO of the South African National Energy Development Institute (Sanedi)
• Rentia van Tonder, Head of Power, Corporate, and Investment Banking at Standard Bank
• Harro von Blottnitz, Director of the Energy System Research Group at the University of Cape Town
• Cristina Trois, Director of the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies at the University of Stellenbosch
• Matthew Mflathelwa, General Manager of Strategy and Planning at Eskom
• Jacob Mbele, Director General in the Department of Mineral Resources

The World Energy Council, a UN-accredited global energy organisation, was established in 1923 and operates in over 100 countries.