The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) and City Power, the power utility of the City of Johannesburg (CoJ), have entered high-level talks to resolve the Small-Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) registration backlog and stabilize Johannesburg’s distributed energy framework.
The meeting, held on 16 February 2026, focused on creating a compliant, financially sustainable, and growing distributed generation environment that benefits residents while ensuring grid stability. Mr. Justin Hendricks, representing the SAPVIA Residential PV Working Group, delivered the opening presentation, outlining the technical and administrative hurdles currently facing the industry.
Resolving the 2022–2025 Registration Backlog
A primary focus of the engagement was the resolution of “legacy” SSEG applications submitted between 2022 and August 2025. SAPVIA advocated for a transitional approach to evaluate these outstanding submissions, emphasizing that administrative consistency is vital for systems installed according to the approval practices of that period.
To reduce regulatory uncertainty and drive higher voluntary compliance, SAPVIA proposed a defined framework to fast-track these older applications. While City Power has noted the proposal, both parties agreed that further engagement is required to finalize an appropriate path forward. Efficiently resolving these legacy matters is seen as a critical step in building public confidence and accelerating formal registration across the city.
