Harnessing the Wind: SA's energy transition in Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape
By Nthabiseng S. Masinge
South Africa’s energy needs remain vital for our economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social stability. With an ageing coal-based electrification infrastructure riddled with temperamental breakdowns and recurrent load shedding, the urgency for a more dependable, sustainable and affordable energy supply has never been greater.
Wind energy offers a compelling solution to these challenges, providing clean, renewable power at scale while supporting the country’s broader energy transition. In South Africa, the integration of wind power has been gaining momentum, with Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape trailblazing.
Harnessing wind to address South Africa's energy needs
Despite Eskom's achievement of maintaining uninterrupted power supply since March 2024, the country's energy challenges are far from resolved. The situation remains precarious, and long-term energy stability and sustainability depend on rapidly increasing our renewable energy generation and distribution.
Wind power’s ability to complement other renewable sources, particularly solar energy, further underscores its importance. While solar energy is most effective during daylight hours, wind energy often peaks in the evening and night, precisely when electricity demand rises. This complementarity between wind and solar can create a more balanced, stable grid, reducing the risk of outages and contributing to a reliable power supply.
Wind farms can be deployed quickly, allowing them to scale up to meet growing electricity demand – an urgent priority given the strain on the national grid. Two regions that are playing critical roles in advancing South Africa’s wind energy ambitions are Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape.
Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape: Two regions transitioning into wind.
Mpumalanga, historically a coal-dependent region, is now emerging as a focal point for South Africa's just transition to renewable energy. As the country's coal capital, Mpumalanga has been deeply affected by the shift away from fossil fuels, and the development of wind energy in the region provides a powerful symbol of change.
The development of wind energy in Mpumalanga is a critical component of the country’s just transition and will cushions and sustain the livelihoods of those impacted by the decline of coal mining and provide new, sustainable employment opportunities.
Wind farms in Mpumalanga are expected to provide much-needed diversification to the region’s economy and are creating new jobs in construction, maintenance, and operations, along with broader downstream benefits such as road upgrade, new settlements, diversifying skills with benefit beyond the wind energy industries.
The Eastern Cape, home to some of our most significant wind resources, has long been at the forefront of the country’s renewable energy revolution, with first-mover advantages stimulating employment opportunities and skills development in the renewable energy sector.
The region boasts several successful wind farms, including the Kouga Wind Farm and the Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm, which have together contributed substantial clean energy to the national grid. These projects are proving that wind power is not only viable but also essential to addressing South Africa’s electricity needs.
The Eastern Cape is particularly well-suited for wind energy development due to its strong, consistent winds. The Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm, for instance, is one of the largest wind farms in the country, with a capacity of 138 megawatts (MW), enough to power over 100000 homes annually and has also generated significant job creation and investment in social and economic infrastructure.
Overall, the two regions attract investment in wind energy, they are definitely poised to become trendsetters and our renewable energy hubs.
Overcoming turbulence to wind energy development
Despite these promising developments, our country’s wind energy sector still faces significant challenges. One of the most pressing is the slow pace of implementation, which has not kept up with the growing demand for electricity or the need for rapid decarbonisation.
While challenges remain, the potential for wind energy to transform South Africa’s electricity supply is immense. Our energy future depends on the accelerated development of renewable energy sources, particularly wind power, which is only viable but also essential to the country’s economic and environmental goals.
Delays in project approvals and financing, as well as the logistical complexities of transporting large wind turbine components to remote locations, continue to hamper progress. Local governments, in particular, play a critical role in supporting these infrastructure developments, but they often face capacity and funding constraints that slow down the approval process for wind projects.
Additionally, the national grid’s ageing infrastructure is ill-equipped to handle the increased and variable generations from wind farms and requires significant upgrades overhaul and capitalisation to integrate the growing supply of renewable energy and modernise transmission and distribution networks.
Wind energy and the Just Transition
South Africa’s energy transition must be a just transition – one that takes into account the social and economic impacts on workers and communities historically reliant on coal. Wind energy offers a way to ensure that this transition is equitable.
By developing wind farms in economically marginalised areas, such as Mpumalanga and rural parts of the Eastern Cape, South Africa can create new opportunities for employment and investment while reducing dependence on coal.
Moreover, wind energy can help address the pricing challenges in South Africa’s electricity affordability and access with potential to generate electricity at lower costs than fossil fuels, particularly as technology advances and economies of scale are realised.
By continuing to invest in wind energy and addressing the logistical, regulatory, and infrastructure challenges that currently impede progress we can build a more resilient, low-carbon energy system that benefits all its citizens.
Nthabiseng S. Masinge is a Senior Communications Specialist in the Presidential Climate Commission (PPC). She champions the youth and gender initiatives of the PCC.
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