Nelson Mandela University’s bold plan to source 80% of its electricity from renewable energy by May 2027 marks more than an institutional milestone heralds a new era in how South Africa’s public universities will power their futures.
The University’s 10‑year agreement with Etana Energy, combined with a new 4.4MW solar photovoltaic (PV) platform comprising more than 8 500 panels, positions Mandela University at the forefront of a national shift toward cleaner, more secure and more affordable energy.
The move aligns with the Integrated Resource Plan 2025 and the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan, both of which place renewables at the centre of the country’s long‑term energy strategy.
Dr Andre Hefer, Sustainability Engineer in the Infrastructure Services and Space Optimisation (ISSO) Directorate, says the University expects between 50% and 55% of its electricity to come from Etana, with the solar PV platform supplying a further 25% to 30%.
Together, these interventions will reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 12 000 tonnes a year, a significant contribution from a major public‑interest institution.
The University currently spends about R60‑million annually on electricity. Under the Etana agreement, it expects to save between R2‑million and R2.5‑million a year, with price adjustments linked to CPI rather than Eskom’s higher projected increases. The solar PV platform is expected to generate an additional R8‑million to R10‑million in annual savings. In a sector grappling with rising costs and constrained budgets, these numbers matter.
ISSO Senior Director Melvin Syce says the decision was shaped by the 2023 crisis, when the University was without Eskom‑supplied electricity for nearly a third of the year. During outages, Mandela University burned 6 000 litres of diesel a day at a cost of R150 000, an unsustainable burden that accelerated the search for a resilient energy model.
The University’s move also has broader implications for the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. Etana will wheel renewable electricity through the Eskom grid from May 2027, and Mandela University is part of a collective of major electricity users exploring shared solutions to regional energy challenges. As Hefer notes, universities can play as critical a role as mines and heavy industry in underpinning investment in new clean‑energy generation capacity.
This is the future South Africa must prepare for: large public institutions taking responsibility for their own energy security, reducing pressure on the grid, and modelling sustainable practices for the communities they serve.
Mandela University’s investment is not merely a response to crisis — it is a blueprint. It demonstrates how universities can lead the transition to a low‑carbon economy while protecting their operations, stabilising costs and contributing to national development goals.
As Syce puts it, “Our investment in renewable energy takes the University forward in a very positive, more sustainable and financially responsible way of powering our campuses. We hope our experience can inspire similar models and interventions at other universities.”
In a country where energy insecurity continues to undermine growth, Mandela University’s renewable‑energy strategy offers a glimpse of what is possible when public institutions innovate with purpose, and plan for the future rather than the next outage.
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