South Africa’s Solar Energy Programme (SEP) will deliver a quarter of the country’s renewable energy by 2030, according to trade and industry minister, Dr Rob Davies.
Speaking during his visit to the Northern Cape community of De Aar as part of the ‘Taking the dti to the people’ outreach programme earlier this week, Davies said: “We need to appreciate the size and extent of the SEP that we have in South Africa. By far, South Africa has the biggest renewable energy programme in Africa and one of the biggest in the world. The SEP should be acknowledged as a game changer in the energy space, and the one that will create opportunities for the communities.”
Davies added that the Northern Cape has emerged as one of the most important areas for solar energy, noting that the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) will be working with the province to establish a special economic zone (SEZ) that will, amongst others, focus on the roll- out of facilities to generate solar energy power stations.
“We are looking to create industries that can produce inputs into solar power facilities which can be located in the Northern Cape and create opportunities for manufacturers,” said Davies.
