{"id":818960,"date":"2025-04-05T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-05T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=818960"},"modified":"2025-04-04T16:09:28","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T14:09:28","slug":"big-shift-for-complexes-and-sectional-titles-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/energy\/818960\/big-shift-for-complexes-and-sectional-titles-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Big shift for complexes and sectional titles in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

More South Africans living in sectional titles are shifting to solar products to protect themselves against higher electricity costs, despite the challenges of getting this approved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Africans feel an incredible squeeze from South Africa’s rising electricity costs. Since 2008, electricity prices have jumped by over 500%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eskom introduced a further 12.74% tariff increase today, 1 April 2025. Although this is far lower than the 36.7% increase that Eskom wanted, it still comes at a significant cost for South Africans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of electricity in the new month, additional fixed services charges are slapped onto bills. Moreover, higher electricity prices flow into other parts of the economy and will be inflationary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Africans are paying nearly double the amount they did just five years ago for electricity, despite the heightened levels of load shedding over the period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although many homeowners in South Africa can install their solar panels and batteries, many sectional title residents feel that they have to endure Eskom’s rising prices and unpredictable supply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Michael Faber, director of energy at Bright Light, said more sectional title complexes are switching to renewable energy<\/strong>, which is leading to energy cost savings and improved supply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople often assume that going solar means a hefty upfront cost or special levies. But that\u2019s not how it works,\u201d said Faber. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Via Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), sectional title schemes can install solar and battery systems without residents having to pay upfront. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, they pay a set electricity rate, often far lower than Eskom’s costs. In addition to the lower costs, there are the supply benefits, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2025 has seen load shedding rear its ugly head several times, following close to a year with no rolling power outages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faber added that there are three good reasons for sectional title residents and owners to install solar and a battery: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost savings from day one<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

With Eskom continually pushing for higher tariff hikes, community scheme residents can lock in stable, lower electricity rates over the long term by switching to renewable energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faber said a well-structured solar PPA will eliminate the shock of Eskom\u2019s rising bills. In addition to the 12.7% increase today, there will be 5.36% and 6.19% increases from 2026\/27 and 2027\/28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protection from load shedding and grid failures<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Outages are extremely disruptive, creating issues for work, security systems, travelling, home activities and the broader economy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the reduced load-shedding, poor infrastructure across South Africa means that unplanned outages are common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sectional title schemes can use an integrated solar and battery setup to keep essential power running and reduce dependence on the struggling national grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Higher property values<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Energy security is also becoming a major selling point in the property market, making solar a significant investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buyers and tenants increasingly want homes with alternative power solutions, making solar-equipped complexes more valuable and attractive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the benefits are clear, Faber warned against installing solar without proper due diligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are plenty of installers offering cheap, subpar systems that can end up being inefficient or even unsafe.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s crucial to work with a reputable provider who ensures the system meets all technical, safety, and municipal compliance requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several law firms have highlighted the many considerations that sectional title residents must keep in mind when considering solar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When looking at the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act, Wright Innes Rose<\/a> said that a unanimous resolution of the body corporate is required for non-reasonably necessary improvements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, a reasonably necessary improvement to the common property will only need a special resolution from the body corporate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Act states that a unanimous resolution needs a meeting where 80% of the votes cast by the present or represented body corporate members favour the resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A special resolution will only need at least 75% of the votes of members represented at a general meeting. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

South Africans are increasingly turning to solar energy, and sectional title property owners are not excluded from the growing trend. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":667273,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9874],"tags":[19689,18596],"class_list":["post-818960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-energy","tag-bright-light","tag-wright-rose-innes-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/818960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=818960"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/818960\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":819038,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/818960\/revisions\/819038"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/667273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=818960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=818960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=818960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}