'Let's show the country and the rest of the world that we can do it. We are going to be the leaders on this continent in relation to renewable energy,' said Kgosientsho Ramokgopa in his new role as Minister of Electricity and Energy.

Listen to this article 8 min Listen to this article 8 min 'I am going to be ultra-aggressive on the renewable energy side. I think we have taken a bit longer than what is necessary," said Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, the newly appointed minister of electricity and energy, at Tshedimosetso House in Pretoria on Monday.

"I want to say to you that I am a firm believer that it's a mix that matters," he said, "and you are going to see an exponential share of renewables in the energy mix. And we need to signal to the market our intention to go that route."

What happened to the renewable IPPs?

In the 13 years since the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) was introduced, only 6,200 megawatts (MW) have been added to the national grid.

Silas Zimu, Ramokgopa's energy adviser, said earlier this year that the last renewables connected to the grid were from REIPPPP Bid Window 4.

The programme signed its fifth round of IPPs at the end of 2022 under Bid Window 5 -- but those projects (meant to add 2,583MW of power) are expected to be added to the grid only in 2025.

On Monday, Ramokgopa...