A new GreenCape report has revealed the scale of Cape Town’s renewable energy boom, showing how the City’s small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) solar programme has transformed households, businesses and the local green economy between 2014 and 2024.
Over the decade, Cape Town’s solar push unlocked between R1.7bn and R2.6bn in investment, supported 713 to 1 140 full-time equivalent jobs, and cemented the City’s role as a national pioneer in diversifying energy supply.
Since 2024 alone, the power generated through authorised grid-tied solar systems is enough to supply about 150 000 homes, giving residents and businesses stronger energy security at the height of load shedding.
A Decade of Solar Progress
The City’s SSEG programme continues to accelerate rapidly. Between 2014 and 2024, 6 400 authorised grid-tied systems were recorded, with an installed capacity of 140.6 MVA. By June 2025, the total number of authorised systems had risen to 13 398, with 251.6 MVA of installed capacity – enough to power around 150 000 homes.
This growth follows reforms introduced in 2024, including streamlined online applications and faster authorisation processes.
Empowering Residents to Become Energy Producers
Alderman Xanthea Limberg, Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, says the City’s efforts were driven by the need to give residents and businesses more control over their energy future.
“We had to be proactive in a rapidly changing industry to protect households from load-shedding, grow our green economy, and support energy prosumers. These investments and jobs show what is possible when government, businesses, and residents work together.”
Key initiatives included a 25 c/kWh feed-in tariff top-up to reward households and businesses for exporting power, cash-for-power incentives, and fully automated online approvals for SSEG applications. These changes helped the City move ahead of national timelines and become one of South Africa’s most enabling environments for small-scale solar adoption.
What’s Next? Ensuring Compliance and Safety
While progress is strong, many customers still fail to complete the final authorisation step needed for safe, compliant grid-tied systems. In 2026, the City will increase awareness efforts to help more households complete the process and ensure that all systems feed safely into the municipal grid.
Cape Town’s Green Future Is Already Here
Cape Town’s solar story is one of innovation, resilience, and shared value – a model showing how cities can unlock green jobs, attract investment, and empower residents to participate in building a cleaner, fairer energy future.
