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South Africans have shown a ‘boer maak ’n plan’ attitude in response to years of rolling blackouts, taking matters into their own hands by installing an estimated 6,178MW of rooftop solar power – equivalent to the capacity of two power stations.
Gauteng leads the country with an estimated 1,799MW of rooftop solar, accounting for nearly 30% of the national total. KwaZulu-Natal follows with 811MW, while the Western Cape (710MW) and Mpumalanga (705MW) round out the top four, according to data from the National Transmission Company.
Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena has said that the widespread adoption of rooftop solar has helped alleviate pressure on the national grid.
In 2023, South Africa experienced its worst year of loadshedding, with blackouts on 335 out of 365 days. The severity of the crisis led the country to import 4,343MW of solar panels from China, according to data from Ember and China’s General Administration of Customs.