South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA)

Our Mid-Year Reflections session brought SAWEA members together to take stock of where we are at the halfway point of 2026, both as an industry and as an association. We shared an update on the wind energy landscape, the developments shaping the sector, and the work SAWEA has been driving across our key focus areas. It was also an opportunity to reflect on progress so far and look ahead to the priorities for the remainder of the year. Thank you to our members, speakers and contributors for being part of the conversation, and to ENS for sponsoring the venue and hosting us. Next, we look towards Windaba 2026, where we will continue many of these discussions under the theme Implementing Watt Matters: Policy. Power. People. #SAWEA #WindEnergy #Windaba2026

We hosted our Mid Year Reflections session today, bringing our members together to take stock of the first half of 2026 and to consider what the second half asks of the wind industry. We were pleased to welcome Mr Rivoningo Mnisi, Group Executive at Eskom Green, who set out the thinking behind the Eskom Green strategy and the role of utility-scale renewable energy within it. "There can be no transition without a stable utility," Mr Mnisi told members, adding that stability is not the destination but the enabler – the foundation on which investment, market reform and renewable energy expansion can be built. For our members, that framing is a useful one. It speaks directly to the conditions that allow wind capacity to be developed, connected and operated at scale, and it sharpens our understanding of where the sector's contribution fits over the coming years. Our thanks to the Eskom Green GE for his participation and for a frank and constructive contribution to the discussion. We value Eskom's engagement with our industry as a member and stakeholder, and we look forward to the continued relationship as the Eskom Green strategy takes shape. Thank you to everyone who joined us. We look forward to connecting with our members again in Cape Town at Windaba, 6–7 October 2026. #SAWEA #WindEnergy #Windaba #EnergyTransition #SouthAfrica

Happy International Youth Day 2026!   Today, we celebrate the energy, ambition and potential of young people who are shaping the future of their communities and countries.   This year’s theme, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” is a powerful reminder that while young people may come from different communities and circumstances, many share the same aspirations: access to opportunity, meaningful careers, a sustainable future and the chance to play a role in shaping the world around them. For SAWEA, this is at the heart of what we aim to support through #energyDRIVE2026. On 5 August, our energyDRIVE journey took us to Sozama Secondary School and Sofunda Secondary School in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, where we engaged more than 150 learners. Reaching these learners in Mpumalanga is especially meaningful given the province’s longstanding role in South Africa’s energy landscape. As the country’s energy sector continues to evolve, ensuring that young people in communities at the centre of this transformation are exposed to the opportunities within renewable energy is an important part of supporting a Just Transition.   Through #energyDRIVE, learners are given the opportunity to engage with renewable energy technologies, explore career pathways and gain a better understanding of the skills and opportunities emerging across the sector. Our technical partner, Durban University of Technology (DUT), brought this to life through a technical presentation that introduced learners to different renewable energy technologies and how they work.   Mpumalanga Green Cluster Agency complemented the technical conversation with career guidance, helping learners explore the range of opportunities available within the renewable energy sector and the different pathways they could pursue.   We are proud to deliver #energyDRIVE2026 alongside South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA), our sister association, bringing together the wind and solar industries to give young people a broader perspective of the renewable energy sector and the opportunities within it. The sun and wind may harness different forces, but together they can help power the same future.   These partnerships are an important part of creating meaningful opportunities for young people to engage with the energy transition and to see the possibilities that exist within South Africa’s evolving energy landscape.   As we celebrate International Youth Day, our reflection from Middelburg reminds us that young people may come from different contexts, but their aspirations for opportunity, growth and a meaningful future are shared.   Different contexts. Common aspirations. A future shaped by the next generation.   #SAWEA #InternationalYouthDay #YouthDay2026 #energyDRIVE2026 #JustTransition #RenewableEnergy #Mpumalanga #YouthInEnergy #GreenCareers #EnergyTransition #SAPVIA #DUT #MpumalangaGreenCluster

We are delighted to celebrate that the 140 MW Hartebeesthoek Wind Farm has commenced commercial operation with 130 MW, with the remaining 10 MW expected to come online in September. This will complete the Koruson 2 renewable energy cluster developed by Envusa Energy (the joint venture between Anglo American and EDF power solutions), marking the successful delivery of the company's first portfolio of utility-scale renewable energy assets.   With the commercial operation of Hartebeesthoek, all three Koruson 2 projects are now operational: the 240 MW Mooi Plaats Solar PV facility in the Northern Cape, together with the 140 MW Umsobomvu Wind Farm and the 140 MW Hartebeesthoek Wind Farm in the Eastern Cape. The three projects will deliver a combined 520 MW of renewable energy capacity through a single integrated portfolio.   The Koruson 2 cluster represents an investment of approximately R16 billion and combines solar and wind generation technologies into a single coordinated portfolio consisting of approximately 50 wind turbines, 420 000 solar panels and 943 string inverters across two provinces.   The completion of Koruson 2 represents more than the commissioning of three renewable energy facilities. It demonstrates South Africa's first successful implementation of a commercial model in which multiple renewable energy generators supply multiple industrial customers through a licensed electricity trader using Eskom's transmission network. “This achievement reflects the intense collective efforts of our EDF power solutions and Envusa Energy teams, working together with our customer, lenders, advisors and partners to bring this innovative project to life,” says Tristan de Drouas, CEO of EDF power solutions in South Africa. “These milestones are the result of outstanding teamwork right across our business, from development and engineering through to finance, legal, HSE, construction, operations and support functions. Together, these achievements demonstrate our continued ability to deliver complex renewable energy projects and continue building a cleaner energy future for South Africa,” Nicole Mason, CEO of Envusa Energy, says this represents an important milestone in South Africa's energy transition: "When Envusa Energy was established in 2022 as a joint venture between Anglo American and EDF power solutions, the vision extended beyond building renewable energy projects." "Together with our core partners, we have successfully developed, financed, constructed and brought into operation an integrated renewable energy portfolio that delivers tangible value to both our customers and the country.”   The electricity generated by the projects supplies renewable energy to the operations of Valterra Platinum, Kumba Iron Ore and De Beers through Envusa Energy's portfolio aggregation and trading model. #EDF #EDFpowersolutions #envusa #renewables #Mining #Southafrica

Today marks National Women’s Day and 70 years since the historic 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings. Across South Africa’s wind energy sector, women are contributing at every level, as engineers, technicians, environmental specialists, project developers, community liaison officers, executives and more. Their expertise, ideas and leadership continue to strengthen our sector and shape its future. At SAWEA, celebrating women also means contributing to the opportunities that enable them to grow and lead. Through initiatives such as our Management Development Programme for Women in Renewable Energy, funded by Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) and delivered in partnership with Wits Business School, we are supporting the development of the next generation of women leaders in the sector. Our recently released Gender Diversity Guidelines, developed together with South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA), further support the industry in advancing gender diversity and inclusion across the renewable energy sector. There is still more to do, but today is also an opportunity to recognise how far we have come and, most importantly, to celebrate the women who are part of that progress every day. SAWEA wishes all women a Happy Women’s Day. #NationalWomensDay #WindEnergy #WomenInEnergy #SAWEA

Day 2 of #energyDRIVE Mpumalanga took learning out of the classroom and onto a wind farm. The yellow bus made its way to Ummbila Emoyeni Wind Farm, where learners from AD Nkosi Secondary School, Sinqoba Ngolwazi Secondary School and Kwadela Secondary School had an opportunity to experience the wind energy sector up close. Learners got to see a wind turbine up close and stepped inside the energyDRIVE bus to explore the different renewable energy technologies on display. The day also opened up conversations about the skills, careers and people behind the technologies they were learning about. A special thank you to Goldwind, our Diamond Sponsor for energyDRIVE Mpumalanga 2026, for supporting the day and sharing their knowledge and experience with the learners. There’s something different about learning about wind energy and then seeing the technology right in front of you. The yellow bus rolls on. 🚌 #energyDRIVE2026 #SAWEA #Goldwind #WindEnergy #RenewableEnergy #Mpumalanga #YouthDevelopment

A new milestone for wind energy in Mpumalanga. On 31 July 2026, His Excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa officiated the commencement of commercial operations at Seriti Green’s Ummbila Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility near Bethal. The 155MW first phase forms part of a planned 900MW renewable energy programme, marking an important step in expanding renewable generation in a province that has powered South Africa for generations. Beyond the megawatts, the significance of this project lies in what is being built around the generation capacity: jobs, skills, local participation and long-term investment. More than 1,000 jobs have been created through the project to date, with approximately half going to people living within a 10km radius. More than 18,500 people have also registered on the Seriti Green Skills Hub, with women accounting for over 50% of registrations. The investment story is equally significant. Seriti Green’s R5 billion commitment in 2023 has since translated into infrastructure on the ground, with a further R10 billion investment in Mpumalanga announced at the 6th South Africa Investment Conference in 2026. As President Ramaphosa noted, affordable, reliable and increasingly clean electricity is critical to a growing economy. Ummbila Emoyeni demonstrates what wind energy can contribute to that growth: new generation capacity, transmission infrastructure, local economic participation and skills development, while supporting Mpumalanga’s evolving role in South Africa’s energy future. Congratulations to the Seriti Green team and all partners involved in reaching this milestone. #WindEnergy #JustEnergyTransition #Mpumalanga #RenewableEnergy

Today, Seriti Green and the Ummbila Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility were recognised in the weekly From the Desk of the President newsletter, highlighting the role of renewable energy in South Africa’s evolving energy landscape.   The inclusion of Ummbila Emoyeni reflects an important milestone in South Africa’s Just Energy Transition. It signals that the transition is no longer a future ambition, but a reality being delivered through infrastructure, investment and clean power generation.   It is also a reminder that the energy transition is about building on South Africa’s strengths. Mpumalanga has long powered the nation, and today the province is helping to shape its energy future through new renewable energy projects, investment opportunities, local supplier participation and job creation.   As a proudly South African company, we are honoured to see Ummbila Emoyeni recognised as part of the country’s journey towards a more secure, diversified and sustainable energy system. This recognition is not just about a single project. It is about the partnerships, communities, workers and businesses contributing to a transition that creates opportunity while strengthening South Africa’s energy security.   Read more in the President’s latest From the Desk of the President newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dS-2sXqr #JustEnergyTransition #UmmbilaEmoyeni #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability Cyril Ramaphosa