Ramaphosa will tout South Africa's energy gains in SONA

Tariff hikes have replaced rolling blackouts with wallet pain, forcing households and shops to swap generator stress for brutal electricity bills.

Load-shedding finally stops

• President Cyril Ramaphosa will speak at SONA on 12 February 2026.
• South Africa logged over 175 blackout-free days.
• Eskom’s Energy Availability Factor climbed past 63 percent.
• Reforms lifted private generation caps and created an Electricity Minister.

Market reforms and stability push

• The Electricity Regulation Amendment Act unlocked private competition.
• Investors are backing new transmission line builds.
• Businesses can plan ahead without surprise power cuts.
• Households ditched candles and generators after years of outages.

Tariff hikes sting consumers

• Electricity prices rose 8.76 percent this year.
• Another 8.83 percent increase is locked in next.
• Regulator approvals aim to patch Eskom’s financial holes.
• Load reduction quietly limits supply in certain areas.

Economic strain and job worries

• Unemployment sits above 31 percent nationwide.
• Youth unemployment stretches past 60 percent.
• Growth hovers between 1 and 1.4 percent.
• Roughly 23.2 million people live below the poverty line.

Ramaphosa’s balancing act at SONA

• Ramaphosa touts four quarters of expansion and a firmer rand.
• The Government of National Unity frames energy stability as progress.
• Presidency eyes R440 billion in sector investments.
• He may float subsidies or efficiency plans to tame costs.

Pressure from unions and business

• COSATU backs blackout gains but blasts steep tariffs.
• Unions demand action on R100 billion municipal debt.
• Business groups warn high bills choke investment plans.
• Analysts question eight years of sluggish reform pace.

Broader risks and reform push

• Municipal arrears threaten the energy overhaul.
• Crime in the sector keeps draining resources.
• Reserve Bank rate cuts could ease borrowing strain.
• Renewable expansion is pitched as a job engine.