• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Lifestyle
A dawn for South African agriculture as solar energy becomes affordable, even for small-scale farmers. Photo: Supplied.

Solar Farms can prevent stage 1 load shedding

28th Jun 2022
What to look for when formulating dairy cow rations

What to look for when formulating dairy cow rations

1st Jul 2022
Leave your comfort zone and make money, says foodie

Leave your comfort zone and start hustling, says foodie

1st Jul 2022
Recipe: Make Makile’s crispy chicken wings

Recipe: Make Makile’s crispy chicken wings

1st Jul 2022
Experts have warned farmers to prepare for another steep fuel price increase this month. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Caught in a price spiral: Farmers brace for major losses

1st Jul 2022
Parts of the Western Cape, such as the Central Karoo, are still experiencing drought. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Drought-burdened farmers receive R48m. in fodder

1st Jul 2022
Through his company, Iboyana agri farming, Mhlengi Ngcobo is changing the lives of youth and women in his community. Photo:Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Self-taught farmer doing his bit for the greater good

30th Jun 2022
Research has revealed that less than three in 10 farmers in the upper parts of Africa use technology. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Technology not a priority for Africa’s smallholder farmers

30th Jun 2022
The Mamahlola Communal Property Association was among the first to be established in 2000, but due to underinvestment, their land soon turned into a symbol of government’s land restoration failure. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

The poverty-fighting tool that’s not fighting poverty

30th Jun 2022
Langeberg & Ashton Foods provides employment for around 250 permanent and 4 300 seasonal staff. Photo: Supplied

ICYMI: Search for fruit factory buyer continues

30th Jun 2022
Michele Carelse, founder, and CEO of Feelgood Health, Aquaponics horticulturalist, PJ Phiri Gwengo, Dr Didi Claassen, Afrivets executive for technical and marketing support, and Sibusiso Xaba, co-founder and CEO of Africa Cannabis Advisory Group. Photo:Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Podcast: Learn the basics of growing microgreens

29th Jun 2022
John Deere Launches Africa’s Largest Capacity Combine. Photo:Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Get inside Africa’s largest combine harvester

30th Jun 2022
Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up more than 30% of what we throw away, and could be composted instead. Babalwa Mpayipheli uses the technique of bokashi composting. Photo: Supplird/Health For Mzansi

How to make compost with kitchen scraps

29th Jun 2022
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
11 GLOBAL MEDIA AWARDS
Sat, Jul 2, 2022
Food For Mzansi
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
    • All
    • AgriCareers
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Farmers
    • Groundbreakers
    • Innovators
    • Inspiration
    • It Takes a Village
    • Mentors
    • Movers and Shakers
    • Partnerships
    Through his company, Iboyana agri farming, Mhlengi Ngcobo is changing the lives of youth and women in his community. Photo:Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Self-taught farmer doing his bit for the greater good

    Reggie Kambule from Villiers in the Free State runs a 185 hectare farm where he breeds livestock and cultivates maize. Photo:Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Engineer-turned farmer takes pride in good results

    Agripreneur 101: Sweet success for jam producer

    Agripreneur 101: Sweet success for jam producer

    Real Housewife turns passion for wine into a business

    Real Housewife turns passion for wine into a business

    David Mthombeni is building an agriculture empire for his family.Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Farmer gets his hands dirty while building family empire

    Gauteng farmers give youth a leg-up in agriculture

    Women in farming give youth a leg up in agriculture

    Watch out, these young farmers are on fire!

    Watch out, these young farmers are on fire!

    Unati Speirs has vast experience in agri-business strategy and business funding and was recently appointed as a new board director for Hortgro. Photos: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Youngest Hortgro hotshot takes transformation to heart

    Prof Kennedy Mnisi a dedicated young man who wants to help livestock farmers with animal health education to prevent diseases. Picture. Supplied/ Food For Mzansi.

    Animal scientist works hard to earn top dog status

  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
No Result
View All Result
Food For Mzansi

Solar Farms can prevent stage 1 load shedding

by Chantélle Hartebeest
28th Jun 2022
in Agri-innovation, Agribusiness, Between the Headlines, News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
A dawn for South African agriculture as solar energy becomes affordable, even for small-scale farmers. Photo: Supplied.

An international partnership promises to make solar energy much more affordable for South African agriculture, even for small-scale farmers. Photo: Supplied

Farmers could be helping Mzansi avoid load shedding even while our agriculture industry gets more internationally competitive, but applications for the building of solar farms are delayed by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) and Eskom.

According to Nicol Jansen, Agri SA chair of the Centre for Excellence: Economics and Trade, the current electricity crisis and load shedding is costing agriculture in a variety of ways. This includes crops that cannot be irrigated for enough hours per day to meet international standards for the export market.

“Agriculture is severely strained by load shedding, but the agricultural sector has a huge potential to help conquer these electricity shortages,” Jansen says.

ADVERTISEMENT
Nicol Jansen
Nicol Jansen

According to Jansen, there have been about 400 applications from farmers who have showed interest in building solar farms. However, the processes have been delayed within the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) and the public power utility, Eskom.

“Agri SA is trying to get to the Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, as well as the Minister of Energy, Jeff Radebe, to discuss these problems that we do have within Eskom and NERSA as well as the potential of the agricultural sector. If we can get those applications through, we can stop phase 1 load shedding for the whole of the country,” says Jansen.

To date there are 13 solar farms already connected to the grid. Jansen says these farms have proven that solar farms can work, that it is profitable and that the agricultural sector can use this domain to generate electricity for their own use and give excess electricity to the grid.

He says some areas have shown more interest than others. “The interest is all over the country, especially the Northern Cape in the irrigation areas. All the electricity intensive areas are very interested in providing for themselves for own-use electricity generation capacity.”

Solar farming requires a significant outlay of capital to erect and fund the power generating farms. For farmers, having their own solar farm makes it more profitable to generate their own electricity than to buy it from Eskom. The plant can fund itself over five to eight years.

Both South Africa and the farming industry can benefit through these solar installations, says Jansen.

“In terms of the agricultural sector it lowers your cost of electricity and makes you more competitive in terms of the international market that you have to compete in. In terms of the country it takes a lot of load off the grid. We can have a 1000 Mega Watts of self-generation if all the applications can go through”.

That equals about one fifth of the generating capacity of the Khusile coal-powered power station. It is enough electricity to prevent stage 1 load shedding in the country.

Sign up for Mzansi Today: Your daily take on the news and happenings from the agriculture value chain.

ADVERTISEMENT
Tags: Agri SAagricultureEskomLoad SheddingNERSANicol JansenSolar FarmsSouth African Farmers
Previous Post

Mavis Hlatshwayo’s farm grows daily as she commits herself to it

Next Post

Agriculture can be the big YES for unemployed youth

Chantélle Hartebeest

Chantélle Hartebeest

CHANTÉLLE HARTEBEEST is a young journalist who has a fiery passion for storytelling. She is eager to be the voice of the voiceless and has worked in both radio and print media before joining Food For Mzansi.

Related Posts

Rural safety is in the spotlight at a summit currently underway in the Free State. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Rural Safety Summit ‘will fail without action plan’

by Staff Reporter
28th Jun 2022
0

The long-awaited Rural Safety Summit is currently underway in the Free State. Agri SA says it will only have been...

Farmers attending a ministerial Imbizo held at Loskop where concerns were raised concern about the high levels of crime especially those related to the theft of livestock. Photo: Supplied/SAPS

Rural safety: Is Cele taking it seriously?

by Zolani Sinxo
20th Jun 2022
0

Are the police really serious about the farming community's safety if the police minister makes no mention of it in...

Christo van der Rheede of Agri SA and Patrice Motsepe of the Motsepe Foundation. The two organisations have joined forces in a pioneering new financing venture. Photos: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Motsepe, Agri SA set up R70m boost for black farmers

by Staff Reporter
16th Jun 2022
0

In a bold move to enhance access to finance for new farmers, Agri SA and the Motsepe Foundation unveiled a...

President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the country’s first hybrid State of the Nation address in Parliament this evening. Photo: Twitter

‘Dear Mzansi’: Ramaphosa pens letter on fellow farmers

by Staff Reporter
7th Jun 2022
0

In case you missed it: While the president of South Africa finds himself facing highly uncomfortable questions around money on...

Next Post
President Cyril Ramaphosa launched the YES programme in 2018, which helps young people to gain skills and work experience.

Agriculture can be the big YES for unemployed youth

Experts have warned farmers to prepare for another steep fuel price increase this month. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi
News

Caught in a price spiral: Farmers brace for major losses

by Tiisetso Manoko
1st Jul 2022
0

Farmers are bracing themselves for yet another steep fuel price increase in July, with data showing that consumers could face...

Read more
Parts of the Western Cape, such as the Central Karoo, are still experiencing drought. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Drought-burdened farmers receive R48m. in fodder

1st Jul 2022
Through his company, Iboyana agri farming, Mhlengi Ngcobo is changing the lives of youth and women in his community. Photo:Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Self-taught farmer doing his bit for the greater good

30th Jun 2022
Research has revealed that less than three in 10 farmers in the upper parts of Africa use technology. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Technology not a priority for Africa’s smallholder farmers

30th Jun 2022
The Mamahlola Communal Property Association was among the first to be established in 2000, but due to underinvestment, their land soon turned into a symbol of government’s land restoration failure. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

The poverty-fighting tool that’s not fighting poverty

30th Jun 2022

Beef up your understanding of SA’s red meat industry

Technology not a priority for Africa’s smallholder farmers

Leave your comfort zone and start hustling, says foodie

Get inside Africa’s largest combine harvester

Self-taught farmer doing his bit for the greater good

Save on production costs with conservation agriculture

THE NEW FACE OF SOUTH AFRICAN AGRICULTURE

With 11 global awards in the first three years of its existence, Food For Mzansi is much more than an agriculture publication. It is a movement, unashamedly saluting the unsung heroes of South African agriculture. We believe in the power of agriculture to promote nation building and social cohesion by telling stories that are often overlooked by broader society.

What to look for when formulating dairy cow rations

Leave your comfort zone and start hustling, says foodie

Recipe: Make Makile’s crispy chicken wings

Caught in a price spiral: Farmers brace for major losses

Drought-burdened farmers receive R48m. in fodder

Self-taught farmer doing his bit for the greater good

  • Our Story
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright

Contact us
Office: +27 21 879 1824
WhatsApp line: +27 81 889 9032
Marketing: +27 71 147 0388
News: info@foodformzansi.co.za
Advertising: sales@foodformzansi.co.za

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought

Copyright © 2021 Food for Mzansi

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Go to mobile version