- Civil society groups reject Nersa’s MYPD6 decision, saying proposed Eskom tariff increases will worsen inequality and energy poverty.
- Activists dispute Nersa’s claim that the decision strikes a balance between affordability and sustainability.
- Calls grow for community owned renewable energy as a pathway to lower costs and energy justice.
Earthlife Africa Johannesburg has joined energy justice organisations in opposing the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s approval of further Eskom electricity tariff increases under the Sixth Multi Year Price Determination.
On 21 January 2026, Earthlife Africa, together with community partners and the Women in Energy and Climate Change Forum, gathered outside Nersa’s offices in Pretoria on the final day for public comment on the decision. The groups warned that the proposed tariff hikes would deepen energy poverty and entrench inequality at a time when many households are already under severe financial strain.
Thabo Sibeko, senior programme officer at Earthlife Africa, said most South Africans are struggling to cope with the rising cost of living and that further electricity price increases would worsen an already dire situation.
“Another electricity price increase, which is a consequence of Eskom’s failures, will worsen inequality and energy poverty,” Sibeko said. “It is time for Eskom and Nersa to act in the public interest by prioritising affordable and socially just energy solutions.”
While Nersa maintains that it reduced Eskom’s original tariff request and followed a public consultation process, Earthlife Africa argues that the final decision still places Eskom’s financial position ahead of the needs of ordinary people. The organisation points to widespread energy poverty, with an estimated 43 percent of households unable to meet basic electricity needs. Many are forced to rely on unsafe alternatives such as paraffin, candles and firewood, with serious consequences for health, safety and dignity.
According to Sibeko, claims of balance between affordability and sustainability ring hollow when millions remain unable to afford reliable electricity.
“Communities see no improvement in infrastructure, no reliable supply and no relief in their monthly bills,” he said, adding that years of tariff increases have not translated into better service delivery in townships and rural areas, where prolonged outages and delayed repairs remain common.
Earthlife Africa is also questioning Nersa’s oversight of Eskom’s performance, arguing that higher revenues should be linked to clear improvements in transparency, accountability and service quality.
Women and low income households have been particularly hard hit by rising electricity costs, according to the Women in Energy and Climate Change Forum. The forum, made up of women from townships and informal settlements in Gauteng, says the regulator’s decision ignores the realities faced by households where women often manage limited resources.
Ntombizodwa Rannyadi from the forum said electricity price increases are directly linked to hunger, stress and household instability.
“We are forced to choose between buying food and buying electricity,” she said. “Small businesses run by women collapse because they cannot afford power, and people who depend on medical equipment are put at risk when electricity becomes unaffordable.”
The forum also disputes Nersa’s assertion that public participation was meaningful, noting that many communities were unaware of the MYPD6 process due to limited outreach and communication.
In response, Earthlife Africa and its partners are calling for a shift away from a centralised, fossil fuel dependent electricity system towards community owned renewable energy solutions. They argue that investment in socially owned projects and household level solar could reduce pressure on the grid, lower emissions and deliver economic benefits at local level.
Sibeko said a genuinely balanced approach would prioritise investment in people rather than continued reliance on coal and costly diesel generation, which keep tariffs structurally high.
“Until electricity is affordable and reliable for township households, informal settlement residents and vulnerable communities, no tariff increase can be justified and no decision can be considered fair,” Rannyadi said.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
