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Image: OUTA
Eskom extends solar registration deadline, but policy still misses the mark
Extension offers short-term relief, while public pushback signals deeper concern over unnecessary registration requirements
- Eskom has extended the solar registration deadline following strong public pushback
- The extension is welcome, but the requirement itself remains unnecessary
- Safe, compliant systems with a valid Certificate of Compliance do not need further registration
- Scrap the red tape. Support private generation. Focus on fixing the grid
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) notes Eskom’s decision to extend the deadline for residential solar system registration.
This extension follows widespread public resistance to the registration requirement. OUTA believes this response has played an important role in slowing down a policy that lacks clear legal and practical justification.
South Africans who have invested in solar are not the problem. They are responding to an unstable electricity supply and taking responsible steps to secure their energy needs.
“South Africans who have invested in solar are acting responsibly in the face of an unreliable power supply. If their systems are safely installed and backed by a valid Certificate of Compliance, there is no justification for forcing additional registration. Eskom should be enabling this shift, not getting in the way,” says Wayne Duvenage, CEO of OUTA.
While the extension may ease immediate pressure on households, it does not address the core issue. Registration, in our view, remains unnecessary.
OUTA maintains that where a solar installation has been completed by a qualified, registered electrician, and a valid Certificate of Compliance (CoC) has been issued, there is no legal or safety basis to compel further registration.
Adding layers of administrative process without clear legal grounding creates confusion, increases costs, and places an unfair burden on residents and small businesses who are already carrying the cost of energy insecurity.
Eskom should be encouraging safe, compliant private generation, not complicating it.
We urge Eskom to reconsider this approach and focus instead on ensuring grid stability, improving transparency, and supporting practical solutions that work for consumers.
South Africans are stepping up. Policy should not hold them back.
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