Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa Says Electricity Price Must Go Down

• Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, the electricity minister, said that the government is taking a look at the electricity policy
• He admitted that electricity is unreasonably expensive and said the government wants to alleviate South Africans' burdens
• Netizens berated him for his admission, and many complained of the crippling effect of expensive electricity in South Africa

Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News's current affairs journalist, covered current affairs relating to international conflict, the economy, finance, banks, and state-owned enterprises during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG — The Minister of Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, said that the government is working on addressing the crippling prices of electricity, and received criticism from South Africans.

According to eNCA, Ramokgopa said that the government is revising the electricity pricing policy to address the issue of the cost of electricity. He admitted that it is unaffordable and is dealing a major blow to the disposable income of households.

"They have to make choices: do I buy a loaf of bread or do I replenish my units? It's easy. They're going to buy a loaf of bread and it's justifiable. So the state has got a duty not to be retrenched but to be at the forefront of the resolution of this preeminent problem that is disproportionately affecting peri-urban areas, villages and poor areas," he said.

Price of electricity in South Africa

In January 2025, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) approved a 12.7% electricity hike. This was despite Eskom requesting a 36.15% increase. The new tariffs came into effect on 1 April. NERSA also approved an increase of 5.36% for 2025 and 6.19% for 2027.

In the same month, Ramokgopa admitted that average people cannot afford electricity. He spoke during the African National Congress's lekgotla in Mpumalanga and affirmed that the electricity would not increase by 35%. He acknowledged that the government is working on ways to make electricity affordable.

What did South Africans say?

Netizens commenting on X roasted Ramokgopa.

Ribane said:

"Everything is just too expensive, but electricity takes the lead. Eskom needs a competitior."

Nantes Kelder said:

"Elections on the horizon."

Mashudu Lucky said:

"The very same people who have already applied for price increases? He thinks all of us are from Kimberly."

BBWLoving said:

"When did he realise that? Been unsustainable since the first loadshedding around 2008."

Buschy said:

"We are really struggling to keep our bugets balancing and many households are cutting other overheadsjust to have electricity."

SALGA warns high electricity tariffs could cause illegal connections'

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the South African Local Government Association warned that communities could rely on illegal connections. SALGA spoke after NERSA approved the tariff hike.

SALGA's head of Electricity and Energy, Nhlanhla Ngidi, warned that customers who struggle to pay for electricity will resort to illegally connecting to the grid. This indicates a mix of economic issues in the country.

Source: Briefly News