Surplus daytime solar electricity pushes South Africa’s state utility to explore deals with Bitcoin mining companies.
Eskom, South Africa’s primary public electricity utility, is evaluating the possibility of selling excess energy at discounted rates to Bitcoin mining companies. The announcement came on March 13, at the Biznews Conference 2026 in Hermanus, where Eskom chairman Mteto Nyati outlined the company’s plans to monetize unused capacity during daytime hours.
The root cause of the initiative is structural: the rapid spread of residential and commercial solar installations across South Africa has altered the electricity demand profile on the national grid. According to Nyati, demand peaks in the early morning hours as households prepare for the day and businesses open, then drops significantly during daylight hours as solar panels come online, leaving Eskom with surplus capacity that would otherwise go to waste.
The Bitcoin mining option is part of a broader strategy previously outlined by Eskom CEO Dan Marokane, who had stated that the state utility is exploring opportunities tied to mining, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and large-scale data centers.
Nyati framed the initiative as part of a strategic adaptation to structural changes in South Africa’s electricity market, which is opening up to private investment by allowing independent companies to build generation capacity and compete in distribution. On the cost front, Nyati announced that the utility aims to cut approximately 112 billion rand ($6.7 billion) in expenses over the next five years – a reduction that could translate into lower electricity prices for households and energy-intensive sectors such as mining and metallurgy.
The chairman reaffirmed Eskom’s central role in the national energy system, arguing that the utility’s coal and nuclear power plants provide the baseload energy needed to sustain the country’s industrial growth and economic development.
