The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) and City Power have begun high-level engagements aimed at unblocking stalled solar registrations and stabilising the distributed energy landscape in Johannesburg.
According to a statement, the talks, which started on 16 February, are centred on resolving the backlog of small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) applications and creating a regulatory environment that supports growth while maintaining grid integrity.
SSEG applications refer to the formal approval process required for customers who install small electricity generation systems − typically rooftop solar PV − connected to the municipal electricity grid.
These applications are submitted to utilities or municipalities to ensure the system meets technical, safety and regulatory standards, allowing safe grid connection, proper metering and compliance with local electricity bylaw.
The engagement brings together industry and municipal stakeholders to address technical bottlenecks and policy uncertainty that have slowed solar adoption.
A central issue under discussion is the backlog of “legacy” SSEG applications submitted between 2022 and August 2025.
SAPVIA advocates for a transitional framework to assess these applications fairly, noting that many systems were installed under earlier approval conditions. The association maintains that consistent administrative treatment is essential to restoring trust and encouraging compliance among solar users.
“Regulatory certainty is the fuel for voluntary compliance. By clearing the SSEG registration backlog, we’re removing the roadblocks to a sustainable city and ensuring no solar pioneer is left in administrative limbo,” says Dr Patrick Narbel, chairperson of the SAPVIA residential PV working group.
While City Power acknowledged the proposal, both sides agree further engagement is needed to finalise a workable solution. Clearing the backlog is widely seen as a prerequisite for accelerating formal registration and improving oversight of distributed generation systems.
The discussions also turned to inefficiencies in the current registration process. Both parties recognise that manual submissions and administrative complexity are limiting scalability and discouraging participation.
SAPVIA pointed to digital registration models, including those implemented by the City of Cape Town, as benchmarks for improving turnaround times and reducing friction.
“It’s time to move from manual hurdles to digital solutions. Streamlining the registration process isn't just about paperwork, it’s about accelerating Johannesburg’s journey to energy independence,” noted Narbel.
Tariff structures emerged amid another contentious issue – the mandatory shift of SSEG customers from prepaid to postpaid billing.
Industry stakeholders argue that the sharp increase in monthly costs − from around R230 on prepaid to between R1 070 and R1 360 on postpaid − has triggered public resistance and discouraged formal registration.
Speaking on the urgency of the situation, Sim Khuluse, technical and policy manager at SAPVIA, says: “We must ensure the transition to a greener grid does not become a financial burden that punishes early adopters. Our goal is to work with utilities and municipalities to find a middle ground where the grid remains viable, but the consumer is not alienated by sudden, steep tariff hikes.”
According to SAPVIA, these concerns are now being considered, with alternatives under discussion.
These include retaining prepaid options for non-exporting users and introducing cost-reflective prepaid tariffs tailored to solar households.
Looking ahead, SAPVIA says it has proposed establishing a formal platform for ongoing technical collaboration with the City of Johannesburg.
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