APA-Pretoria (South Africa) President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa has turned the corner following a difficult first months of 2023 during which it “experienced the worst load-shedding ever”.
Delivering his annual New Year’s message to the nation on Sunday evening, Ramaphosa noted that although blackouts have persisted, there has been a great improvement in the availability of electricity in recent months.
“While we experienced some of the worst load shedding ever in the first few months of 2023, through an intense focus on implementing the Energy Action Plan, there has since been a steady decline in the severity of load shedding,” he said.
The plan aims to leverage the rising demand for renewable energy and storage technologies, with a focus on solar energy, wind energy, lithium-ion battery and vanadium-based battery technologies to unlock the industrial and inclusive development of associated value chains in the country.
He was happy with how various measures introduced by his government have attracted “massive new investment in energy generation and in the installation of rooftop solar.”
“We are encouraged by the confidence of local businesses and international investors in our country’s prospects,” Ramaphosa said.
On the huge task of congesting at the country’s ports, he said his government, state-run railway and ports firm Transnet, industry and other social partners are working closely “to relieve congestion at our ports and increase the volumes of freight being carried on our key rail corridors.”
NM/jn/APA