Eskom has extended the waiver of registration related charges for qualifying grid connected rooftop solar systems of up to 50 kVA supplied directly through its distribution network.
The waiver, previously due to end on 30 September 2026, will now remain in place until further notice. Eskom said the measure is intended to give qualifying residential customers more time to register rooftop solar installations without paying registration related charges.
The extension does not remove the utility’s position that qualifying grid connected generation facilities must be registered. Eskom said registration supports safe and efficient integration of customer owned electricity generation, network planning, voltage management, equipment protection, fault analysis and the safety of workers operating on the electricity network.
Junaid Munshi, Eskom Group Executive for Distribution, said registration was a standard part of electricity-system management as countries incorporated growing volumes of customer owned generation.
“Registration is a standard feature of modern electricity systems as countries integrate increasing levels of customer-owned generation into their networks,” Munshi said. He added that the process could support the future deployment of bidirectional smart meters, tariffs, customer credits and flexibility services.
Eskom said it reviewed 20 international electricity markets, including Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, Uganda, Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, the United Kingdom and parts of the United States. The utility found that customer owned generation commonly requires notification, registration or approval by a regulator, municipality or grid operator before grid connection or commissioning.
The utility said requirements generally become more stringent as a solar system’s capacity and technical complexity increase. Eskom also cited a March 2026 statement by the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association, which said registration of grid connected small scale embedded generation supports worker safety, grid stability and regulatory compliance.
Under Eskom’s interpretation of the Electricity Regulation Act and the applicable Exemption and Registration Notice, embedded generation systems with a point of connection to the grid and installed capacity of 100 kW or below must register with the relevant licensed electricity distributor. This may be Eskom or a municipality. Systems above 100 kW must register directly with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, while installations with no grid connection are exempt.
Eskom stressed that registration and a Certificate of Compliance serve separate functions. A Certificate of Compliance confirms that an electrical installation meets safety requirements, while registration gives distributors information on the location, technology and generation capacity of installations connected to their networks.
However, civil society organisation the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse has challenged Eskom’s claimed authority to require households to register compliant solar PV and battery systems installed behind the customer meter.
OUTA said Eskom has stepped back from previous warnings that households which did not register eligible systems could face fines or disconnection. It also said the utility has removed its former requirement that residential installations be approved by a professional registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa.
Wayne Duvenage, OUTA chief executive, said the organisation was not contesting the importance of safe solar installations, but rather the legal authority for an additional registration regime.
“Consumers deserve clarity, not threats,” Duvenage said. “Eskom says registration is compulsory, but simply pointing to legislation is not enough. It must show precisely where the law gives Eskom the power to compel registration of compliant household systems installed behind the meter.”
OUTA argues that household solar PV and battery energy storage systems below 100 kVA, connected behind a customer’s meter on private property, are already covered by electrical safety requirements under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Electrical Installation Regulations and applicable national standards.
The organisation said homeowners should ensure systems are installed by suitably qualified professionals, are inspected and tested, and have a valid Certificate of Compliance. It maintains that a Certificate of Compliance should not be confused with Eskom’s registration process.
Eskom has previously said registration is necessary in part to manage the risk of electricity feeding back into the grid during outages. OUTA accepted that safety risks must be managed but said compliant inverter systems are designed to prevent dangerous back feed when grid supply is interrupted.
OUTA also questioned whether mandatory registration of every qualifying household system is a proportionate response to concerns over voltage fluctuations, harmonics, power quality and network planning. The organisation argued that Eskom can address individual installations that demonstrably create network problems without imposing the same administrative obligation across all households.
The dispute applies specifically to customers supplied directly by Eskom. Customers supplied by municipal electricity distributors may face separate registration, approval or authorisation requirements under local electricity supply rules and municipal by laws.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal






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