During the public participation ahead of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA)’s foundational regulatory framework governing the trading, settlement, and operational standards for the competitive wholesale electricity market, households, businesses and communities have consistently called for the protection of consumers from recurring electricity price increases.

The public engagement driven by Just Power Mzansi, also called for the following:

• Strengthening oversight to prevent market abuse and price manipulation.
• Improving transparency and accountability in the electricity market.
• Ensuring municipalities, communities and smaller electricity users are not disadvantaged.
• Supporting investment in reliable and cleaner sources of electricity and
• Improving energy security while maintaining affordability.

NERSA’s consultation process is part of the proposed Market Code and Market Rules for the South African Wholesale Electricity Market (SAWEM),

“Our objective was never simply to collect comments, the real success of this campaign is that ordinary South Africans engaged in an important policy discussion that will influence how electricity is traded and, ultimately, what consumers experience. Public participation should not be viewed as a box-ticking exercise, it is an essential part of building a fair, transparent and accountable electricity market.” said Just Power Mzansi Marketing Director, Lorna Sithole.

The consultation process, which ended in the middle of June and was followed by a public hearing on 1 July 2026, marked an important milestone in South Africa’s electricity market reform.

The proposed Market Code and Market Rules will establish the framework governing how electricity is bought and sold within the future wholesale electricity market, with significant implications for electricity affordability, market transparency, consumer protection and energy security.

Sithole said the public participation campaign helped facilitate the submission of public comments to NERSA, representing a significant contribution to the consultation process. The campaign effectively doubled the number of public comments received by NERSA during this consultation process, demonstrating that South Africans are eager to participate when complex policy issues are made accessible and when meaningful opportunities exist for their voices to be heard.

Sithole emphasised the public concerns highlighted that electricity market reform is not merely a technical exercise for industry specialists, but a matter that directly affects every South African.

“NERSA’s consultation process provides an important platform for citizens to participate in decisions that affect their daily lives,” Sithole added.

“We encourage South Africans to continue engaging in future regulatory processes. Whether it is electricity pricing, market rules or broader energy policy, public participation helps ensure that the interests of consumers remain at the centre of decision-making.”

With the public consultation now concluded, NERSA is expected to review the written submissions alongside presentations made during the public hearing before preparing recommendations for consideration by its Electricity Subcommittee and, ultimately, the Energy Regulator.

The regulator may approve the Market Code and Market Rules, approve them with amendments, or request further work before the framework is finalised.

While approval of the Market Code and Market Rules would represent an important step towards implementing the South African Wholesale Electricity Market, additional operational, pricing and transitional arrangements will still need to be completed before the market becomes operational.

Sithole said Just Power Mzansi looks forward to the next phase of the process and remains committed to supporting greater public awareness and participation in South Africa’s energy transition.

“Public participation, including the submission of written comments, is a critical part of NERSA’s regulatory process before any decision is made. NERSA’s decisions are guided by facts and evidence. In this context, written submissions and participation in public hearings give stakeholders and members of the public an important opportunity to ensure that their views are considered in shaping the future trajectory of electricity in South Africa,” said Mr Rhulani Mathebula, Executive Manager for Electricity Regulation at NERSA.