Cape Town launches Africa’s first shared renewable power model
South Africa’s energy story just took a significant step forward. Cape Town has completed the first pooled renewable electricity wheeling allocation in the country. The milestone happened in April 2026. It marks a new phase in South Africa’s shift toward decentralised, flexible energy supply, driven by a partnership between Etana Energy, Growthpoint Properties, and the City of Cape Town.
What Pooled Wheeling Actually Means
Traditional energy wheeling connects one generator to one customer or building. However, pooled wheeling distributes electricity from one or more remote generation sites across multiple customers on the grid. As a result, it creates a simpler, more flexible, and scalable way to manage and settle electricity supply.
Instead of linking one solar plant to one building, Etana Energy operates as a central platform. The company collects clean electricity from different remote generation sites, starting with the Boston Hydroelectric Plant near Clarens, and then directs power to properties where demand is highest across its network. The result is a cleaner, faster, and more commercially viable model for both energy producers and consumers.
Cape Town Pooled Wheeling Renewable Electricity
Building on the City of Cape Town’s first renewable electricity wheeling pilot, launched in 2023 with Growthpoint and Etana Energy, the new pooled wheeling model represents the next stage of municipal wheeling.
Through this pilot, Etana Energy now wheels electricity from Eskom-connected generators to a shared pool of Growthpoint buildings connected to the city’s grid. In April 2026, the city completed its first pooled allocation, marking an important milestone for the programme.
The Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, praised Etana Energy, Enpower Trading, and Equites Fund Property for their role as early leaders in the initiative. He described the project as a significant step toward diversifying electricity supply beyond Eskom and moving toward decentralised electricity trading in South Africa.
So far, the pilot phase has wheeled more than half a million kilowatt-hours across Cape Town’s grid. This has been achieved through participation from three energy companies using multiple generation sources.
What This Means for South Africa’s Energy Future
The Cape Town pooled wheeling renewable electricity model tackles a major challenge in South Africa’s clean energy transition: billing and allocation complexity. Through wheeling, private parties can buy and sell electricity using the existing grid. As a result, power can move from generators to users over long distances. This makes renewable energy more accessible and supports efforts to reduce the country’s energy crisis.
In addition, Cape Town plans to add up to 1GW of independent power over time. This is intended to reduce load shedding and improve energy stability. Etana Energy CEO Evan Rice called the model a “win-win-win.†It gives customers access to more affordable renewable energy.
At the same time, it helps South African businesses remain competitive globally. As pooled wheeling expands further, it is expected to encourage more private investment in power generation across the country.
