MBABANE – The Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) has officially launched the national roll-out of Feed-in Tariffs for Embedded Generation (EG), marking one of the most significant developments in the country’s electricity sector in decades.
The initiative allows customers to sell excess electricity to EEC as of August 1, 2026 until March 31, 2027. These are the customers who generate their own electricity – primarily through solar photovoltaic (PV) systems connected to the national grid – to formally register their systems, feedback excess electricity and become recognised participants in Eswatini’s evolving electricity network. The announcement made by the company’s Acting Managing Director Mphumuzi Maziya yesterday follows another major achievement for the country after Eswatini was recently recognised as Africa’s leading performer in Embedded and Distributed Generation implementation, receiving continental recognition among fourteen participating African countries.
Maziya stated that the award acknowledged the country’s leadership in developing practical policies, regulatory frameworks and implementation models those other African utilities are now studying.
He said unlike traditional electricity models, where power flows only from utility to customer, embedded generation such as solar PV enables electricity to be generated closer to where it is consumed, improving efficiency, strengthening energy security and supporting the country’s transition towards cleaner energy.
Maziya shared that to date, EEC has already registered approximately 24MW of Embedded Generation capacity – equivalent to almost 10 per cent of Eswatini’s national maximum electricity demand – with some registered customers already feeding excess electricity back into the national grid under the approved framework.
EEC’s Feed-in Tariffs for Embedded Generation
| Misconception | Reality |
| ‘EEC wants to stop people installing solar.’ | EEC is encouraging solar, but requiring safe grid integration. |
| ‘Everyone with solar must register.’ | Only systems connected to the EEC grid require registration. Fully off-grid systems do not. |
| ‘Registration costs E8 900.’ | Registration is free. Certain technical studies or specialised metering may incur costs depending on the installation. |
| ‘This is a new tax.’ | It is a safety and regulatory requirement rather than a tax on solar energy. |
| ‘EEC wants to profit from customers’ solar systems.’ | The framework enables customers to participate in the electricity market, including feed-in arrangements as approved by the regulator. |
Customer Bill Impact: Before and After Solar with Feed-in Tariff
The hypothetical example below addresses the common concern that embedded generation is a tax. It shows that a compliant solar customer can reduce grid purchases through self-consumption and receive an additional credit for surplus electricity exported to the grid.
| Item | Before Solar | After Solar and Feed-in Tariff | Customer Benefit |
| Monthly household electricity need | 700kWh | 700kWh | The customer still receives the same energy service. |
| Energy supplied directly by solar | 0 kWh | 500kWh | This is the main saving: energy used on-site does not have to be bought from the grid. |
| Energy purchased from EEC | 700kWh | 200 kWh | Grid purchases reduce by 500kWh. |
| Energy charge for electricity purchased | 700 × E2.8624 = E2 003.68 | 200 × E2.8624 = E572.48 | Immediate monthly saving from self-consumption: E1 431.20. |
| Excess solar exported during the day or while away | 0 kWh | 25% of solar supplied = 125 kWh | When daytime demand is low, or when the customer is away on holiday, excess solar is not wasted. |
| Feed-in tariff credit | E0.00 | 125 × E0.5123 = E64.04 | This is a credit to the customer, not a tax. |
| Net monthly energy cost | E2 003.68 | E572.48 − E64.04 = E508.44 | Total monthly reduction: E1 495.24. |
| Annualised saving from this example | Baseline cost: E24 044.16 per year | Net cost: E6,101.28 per year | Estimated annual reduction: E17 942.88. |
