BEIJING (XOL Africa) — South Africa and China are seeking to deepen cooperation on electricity and energy infrastructure as government officials, financiers and industry executives met in Beijing to discuss more than 2.2 trillion rand ($130 billion) in potential investments through 2039.
The two-day South Africa-China Electricity and Energy Investment Conference opened Aug. 3 at the headquarters of POWERCHINA. The event was organized by South Africa’s Department of Electricity and Energy and the South African Embassy in China, with support from POWERCHINA.
More than 260 representatives from government, finance and industry attended the conference, which focused on investment opportunities under South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan 2025, including electricity generation, transmission, energy storage and related manufacturing.
South Africa plans to add about 105 gigawatts of generation capacity by 2039 under the plan, using a mix of solar, wind, battery storage, natural gas and nuclear power. The country also expects to build about 14,500 kilometers of transmission infrastructure, requiring an estimated 440 billion rand in transmission investment over the next decade.
Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, South Africa’s minister of electricity and energy, said the country was entering a critical period in its transformation of the energy sector.
He said the investment pipeline would expand electricity generation and transmission while supporting infrastructure development, industrialization and economic growth through long-term partnerships.
POWERCHINA President Wang Xiaojun said the company was prepared to expand its role in South Africa’s infrastructure development.
“Since beginning operations in South Africa in 2008, POWERCHINA has contributed to the country’s power and water infrastructure,” Wang said. “We are ready to work with government agencies, financial institutions and industry partners to move projects from planning to implementation while creating lasting value through local procurement, skills development and supply chain cooperation.”
POWERCHINA said its completed and ongoing wind, solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar power projects in South Africa have a combined capacity of 1.9 gigawatts. Its battery-storage projects under construction have a combined capacity of 1.9 gigawatt-hours.
Among the company’s projects is the 100-megawatt Redstone concentrated solar power facility, which POWERCHINA describes as South Africa’s largest tower-based molten-salt solar thermal project. The facility combines solar generation with thermal storage to provide electricity that can be dispatched when needed.
The company is also involved in the Oya hybrid facility, which combines wind, solar and battery storage on a single grid-connected platform.
POWERCHINA’s involvement extends beyond electricity generation. The company is working on the Mokolo-Crocodile Water Augmentation Project Phase 2A, a major water infrastructure project that is expected to deliver 75 million cubic meters of water annually once completed.
The project is intended to strengthen water supplies for the Medupi and Matimba power stations, support mining and industrial activity in the Waterberg region and provide water to municipalities and communities.
The Chinese company said its South African projects have also emphasized local procurement, subcontracting and workforce development. At the Redstone project, POWERCHINA established a welding training center and partnered with a local university on technical training related to concentrated solar power.
The conference is expected to support discussions around establishing a proposed South Africa-China Energy Investment Partnership, as both sides seek to mobilize financing and technical expertise for South Africa’s expanding energy and infrastructure needs.
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