The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has extended the deadline for submitting written comments on its revised Draft NERSA Rules for Electricity Trading, giving stakeholders and the public additional time to participate in the consultation process. The original closing date of July 29, 2026, has now been moved to Friday, August 28, 2026.
According to NERSA, the extension is intended to provide interested parties with sufficient time to carefully review the revised draft rules and prepare detailed feedback. The regulator believes that broader participation will help improve the quality of the final regulations and ensure that different views from across the electricity sector are taken into account.
The revised Draft NERSA Rules for Electricity Trading were approved for a second round of public consultation on June 17, 2026. The updated document was prepared under Section 35 of the Electricity Regulation Act, 2006, and incorporates changes made after considering comments received during the first consultation process. NERSA stated that the revised framework has been expanded and refined to better address stakeholder concerns while supporting the ongoing transformation of South Africa’s electricity market.
The proposed rules are designed to create a clear and transparent regulatory framework for electricity trading. A key objective is to support the gradual introduction of bilateral electricity trading arrangements, allowing electricity buyers and sellers to enter into direct agreements within a regulated market environment. This forms part of South Africa’s broader efforts to develop a more competitive and efficient retail electricity market.
NERSA emphasized that public participation remains an important part of the regulatory process. The regulator has encouraged electricity industry participants, businesses, investors, consumer groups, and other interested stakeholders to use the extended consultation period to submit their comments and recommendations. It believes that a wide range of opinions will contribute to developing balanced and practical electricity trading rules that support the long-term growth of the sector.
At the same time, NERSA clarified that only submissions received on or before August 28, 2026, will be considered during the final review process. Any comments submitted after the deadline will not be taken into account.
Stakeholders wishing to participate must send their written submissions by email to TradingRulesDevelopmentTeam@nersa.org.za. To support the consultation process, NERSA has made both the revised draft rules and the accompanying consultation paper publicly available on its official website. Interested parties can download these documents by visiting the Electricity section of the NERSA website and selecting the Consultation page before preparing and submitting their feedback.
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