1. kW vs kWh when charging
People mix these up constantly — including some quotes. Keep them separate:
- Power (kW) — how fast energy moves. A ~7.4 kW wallbox can push about 7.4 kilowatt-hours into the car each hour (if the car’s onboard charger allows it).
- Energy (kWh) — how much the battery stores, and what you pay for. Your municipal bill charges for kilowatt-hours, not kilowatts.
Many modern EVs use roughly 150–200 Wh per kilometre in mixed driving (about 15–20 kWh per 100 km). So a 1 kWh top-up is often in the ballpark of 5–7 km of range, depending on the car, speed, hills and cabin heating or cooling. Always check your car’s real consumption in the trip computer.
Short answer on power bands: 7.4 vs 11 vs 22 kW explained.
2. What does it cost to charge an EV at home?
For 2026/27, most metro households pay roughly R3.30–R4.70 per kWh including VAT on the energy part of the bill, plus a monthly fixed charge that solar does not remove. Full metro table: electricity tariffs 2026.
Use a simple comparison for 100 km:
| Fuel | Assumptions | Rough cost for 100 km |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol car | ~8 L/100 km × inland 95 at R30.25/L (Gauteng from 7 Oct 2026) | ~R242 |
| EV at home (grid) | ~18 kWh × R3.50–R4.70/kWh (mid to top-block metro rates) | ~R63–R85 |
| EV on public DC | ~18 kWh × ~R7.00/kWh (Rubicon FAQ example; host may vary) | ~R126 |
| EV on solar surplus | Self-consumed PV that would otherwise be exported or unused | Often the cheapest option — see below |
Even if your petrol car is thriftier (say 6 L/100 km), home electricity still usually wins by a wide margin at 2026 prices. Public fast DC is still typically cheaper per kilometre than petrol, but several times the home rate — use it for trips, not daily commuting.
Solar opportunity cost vs feed-in
If you already have rooftop solar, the useful question is: what is each surplus kilowatt-hour worth if I put it in the car instead of exporting it?
- Export / feed-in credits in SA are often modest versus the retail rate you pay to buy grid electricity. Design primarily for self-use — see feed-in tariffs.
- Diverting surplus into the car usually beats exporting at a low credit, because you avoid buying a later grid kWh at R3–R5.
- If your system barely covers the house, “solar-only” charging will be slow — you will still need grid or scheduled charging.
Time-of-use and demand-tariff warnings
Some Eskom Homeflex / metro time-of-use plans make daytime or overnight blocks cheaper than evening peak. If you are on ToU, schedule the car (or the wallbox) so it does not charge through the peak window unless you must.
Beware demand or capacity-style charges. Some commercial and a few residential structures penalise high peak kilowatts. A three-phase 22 kW wallbox running while the geyser, stove and pool pump are on can spike demand. Ask your distributor how your tariff treats peak kW before you buy a high-power charger “because it is faster”.
Pairing solar + EV on one brief?
Get a structured quote so inverter, DB and wallbox limits are designed together — not as three unrelated gadgets.
3. How home charging works
A home wallbox is mostly a smart, safe switch. It talks to the car, checks that charging is allowed, then supplies a regulated AC current on a dedicated circuit. The clever power electronics that turn AC into the DC the battery needs live inside the car — that is the onboard charger.
So the wallbox cannot push power faster than the car requests, and it cannot exceed the car’s onboard AC limit. A 22 kW wallbox on a car that only accepts 7 kW AC simply charges at ~7 kW.
Smarter wallboxes add rules on top of that basic handshake:
- Time of day / tariff windows
- Surplus solar detection
- Home-battery awareness (do not drain the house pack into the car)
- Load balancing so the main breaker does not trip
- App / OCPP control
Technically the industry calls these devices EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment). In this guide we say wallbox or charger like everyone else shopping for one.
4. AC vs DC charging
| AC (home & many destination points) | DC (public fast / corridor) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where conversion happens | Inside the car (onboard charger) | Inside the station; DC goes straight to the pack |
| Typical home power | ~3.7–11 kW; sometimes 22 kW three-phase | Rare at home — cost and supply usually rule it out |
| Typical public | Destination AC Type 2 (bring your cable) | 50–350 kW class CCS; rates often ~R7–R9+/kWh |
| Best for | Overnight / daytime solar at home | Road trips and urgent top-ups |
DC sessions often taper as the battery fills — you rarely hold peak kilowatts from 10% to 100%. Plan stops around a 10–80% top-up on long trips rather than a full fill every time.
5. Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3
The industry’s dull labels for slow, medium and fast. In SA practice:
Level 1 — household powerpoint / portable Mode 2 cable
Roughly 1.8–2.4 kW on a normal 16 A SA socket (actual current often limited by the portable EVSE). At ~6 km per kWh that is only about 10–15 km of range per hour. Overnight you might add 80–120 km — fine for a short commute, painful after a long trip or for a large battery.
Consumer warning: Continuous high-current charging on an ordinary household plug is discouraged in SA and European consumer guides. Heat at poor contacts is a fire risk. Keep the portable cable for emergencies and guests; put daily charging on a dedicated wallbox circuit. Details: wiring & CoC.
Level 2 — dedicated home wallbox
Usually ~7.4 kW single-phase in SA houses (about 35–45 km of range per hour depending on the car). Hardware often R6 000–R22 000; install + CoC often ~R4 500–R15 000 typical; all-in for ~7 kW often R17 000–R35 000 (2026 illustrative — not a quote). See home charger cost.
Three-phase Level 2 can reach 11–22 kW if supply and car allow — see section 8.
Level 3 — public DC fast charge
Tens to hundreds of kilowatts. Not a realistic home install for most households (supply upgrade and hardware cost). Useful on N-routes and city hubs. Battery-backed sites (for example SAEV’s public DC narrative) matter during load shedding; still check the live app.
Relying only on Level 3 for daily kilometres is expensive and harder on the pack than gentle overnight AC.
6. Connectors: Type 2 & CCS
- Type 2 (Mennekes) — the AC standard for almost all new EVs sold for the SA / EU-style market. Home wallboxes and destination AC points use it.
- CCS2 (Combined Charging System) — Type 2 shape plus two large DC pins underneath. Public DC fast chargers use the combined plug.
- CHAdeMO — older Japanese DC standard (e.g. some Leaf generations). Rare on new SA volume sellers; if you import or own a CHAdeMO car, confirm which public plugs still exist before you travel.
Most modern SA-relevant EVs take Type 2 for AC and CCS2 for DC. Buy a quality Type 2–Type 2 cable if your wallbox is untethered or you use public AC posts.
7. Should you install Level 2 at home?
If you drive an EV most days, yes for most households — not because Level 1 is impossible, but because Level 2 makes ownership pleasant and unlocks cheaper electricity windows.
Level 1 can work if you drive short distances, can leave the car plugged for many hours, and treat the portable cable carefully. It falls apart when:
- The battery is large and you arrive home empty after a trip
- You want to finish charging inside a short solar or off-peak window
- You share one car between drivers who both need reliable overnight range
- You are tired of worrying about a warm plug and a shared kitchen circuit
A dedicated ~7.4 kW wallbox with a CoC is the consumer-safe default we keep returning to.
8. Single-phase vs three-phase
| Supply | Typical wallbox | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Single-phase (most SA houses) | ~7.4 kW | Default daily driver |
| Three-phase already in | 11 kW or up to 22 kW | Only if the car’s onboard AC charger can use it; useful for multi-car or large solar surplus |
| Municipal upgrade to three-phase | — | Cost varies wildly — ask your municipality; we do not invent a rand figure |
Many popular EVs top out around 7–11 kW AC even if the wallbox can do 22 kW. Paying for three-phase hardware you cannot use is a common quote trap. Short answer: Do I need three-phase?
9. Charger features checklist
From “dumb but safe” to “smart enough for solar and tariffs”:
- Solar divert / surplus mode — CT or meter so the wallbox drinks excess PV instead of exporting.
- Battery-aware — does not empty the house LiFePO₄ pack into the car by accident.
- Dynamic load balancing — shares the main supply with other large loads or a second charger.
- Cable length / tethered vs untethered — tethered is grab-and-go; untethered is neater for multi-car and lets you buy a longer Type 2 cable.
- ToU / schedule — charge only in cheap windows (also available in many car apps).
- Connectivity — Wi-Fi / Ethernet / 4G for monitoring and firmware.
- PIN / RFID lock — stops strangers using a driveway unit.
- Multi-user metering — useful for flats, estates, staff cars.
- OCPP — Open Charge Point Protocol for third-party backends and future tariffs; common on commercial-leaning units (e.g. Teltonika listings).
Grey imports under ~R10 000 often fail on the soft stuff: dead apps, no local warranty, no voltage protection for SA conditions. Prefer stock with a phone number in this country.
NEV sales context (naamsa)
Per naamsa primary releases: full-year 2025 new-energy vehicle sales were 16 716 units (+7.1% vs 15 611 in 2024; 2.8% of the total new-vehicle market) — including 12 818 traditional hybrids, 2 810 PHEVs and 1 088 BEVs. Through the first eight months of 2026, cumulative NEV sales already reached 18 945 units (ahead of the full 2025 total), with PHEVs 6 919 and BEVs 2 622 year-to-date; about one in twenty new vehicles sold is electrified. Hybrids still lead the NEV mix, but rechargeable (PHEV+BEV) share is rising. Sources: naamsa Q4 2025 review; September 2026 new-vehicle sales media release.
10. Charging away from home
Home AC covers routine kilometres. Public networks cover the N1/N3 weekends and the day you forget to plug in. Coverage still has gaps — especially parts of the Northern Cape and Limpopo called out in press — so plan before you leave.
| Operator | Footprint / focus | Cost / caveats |
|---|---|---|
| GridCars | ~445 sites, ~650 chargers, 1 200+ connectors (Engineering News, Jan 2026); ChargePocket app | Largest CPO by cited footprint; check live map for derates |
| Rubicon Charge | 100+ public chargers claimed; Wallbox/Autel hardware | FAQ examples ~R7.00/kWh DC · R5.88/kWh AC (host may vary) |
| Zero Carbon Charge (CHARGE) | Off-grid solar+battery ultra-fast corridor; N12 / N3 sites; N1 next | App required; verify live DC rate on hubs page (published figures have been higher than Rubicon’s FAQ example) |
| SAEV Charge (public) | Battery-backed ~120 kW-class DC; Cape corridor sites (Richmond Park live; De Doorns; Paarl UC per their site) | Reliability feature during unstable grid — secondary to the home savings story |
| Chargify | Destination / hotel / mall / hospital focus; City Lodge PR (29 Jan 2026) says network of >120 charging stations (Mercedes-Benz SA–invested). Homepage lists ~two dozen named sites; secondary roundups cite ~32+ sites / 105+ chargers depending on definition | Partner PR + live site — pin-count still not a public API; check map before a trip |
| BMW Charging / Destination | Card + My BMW App; hotels/restaurants; often mapped via GridCars | Costs vary by host |
| Naamsa corridor plan | ~120 stations on main routes planned | Not at financial close as of Sep 2025 status — planned / delayed, not live |
Planning apps: each operator’s own app or map, plus PlugShare-style community maps for obscure sites. Call ahead on thin corridors. Shell Recharge global is not treated here as an SA network operator. BP Pulse pilots in SA remain uncertain / not a live rollout for planning.
Bring your own Type 2 cable for public AC posts. Prefer a cable rated for the current you actually want (a 16 A-only cable will bottle-neck a faster AC point).
11. How much solar do you need to charge an EV?
A classic 3–5 kW rooftop system that already feeds the house will rarely cover a daily driver as well. Working rules from our solar–EV answers (not marketing kit sizes):
- Estimate weekly kWh from kilometres × Wh/km (many EVs ~150–200 Wh/km).
- Plan roughly an 8 kVA+ hybrid inverter so house essentials and a ~7 kW wallbox can run together.
- Add PV for daytime charging; treat 20–30 kWh of home storage as load-shedding backup first, not as a full EV fill every night.
- Size from your weekly kilometres, not from a brochure.
Deep dives: What size solar to charge an EV? · Can I charge from solar? · Max home SSEG kW · Is my roof suitable?
12. Life with an EV — tips
Know your tariff
An EV can add a large monthly kWh block. On inclining-block metro tariffs that can push you into a more expensive band. Solar that knocks out top-block kWh is especially valuable — see the tariff answer linked above.
Avoid peak windows
If you are on time-of-use, schedule charging in the car or wallbox so peak hours are blocked by default.
NMC vs LFP habits
- NMC packs (many performance / long-range cars): habitually living between roughly 20–80% or 10–90% is kinder than daily 100% fills; top up to 100% when you need the range.
- LFP packs: generally happier with regular high SoC; follow the manufacturer’s calendar calibration advice.
Sun and weather on the wallbox
Power electronics dislike baking on a north-facing Highveld or coastal wall. Prefer shade, a carport, or an IP-rated enclosure; outdoor units typically need IP54+ (IP65 often recommended when exposed).
Leave it plugged when you travel
Phantom drains and 12 V battery issues are less drama if the car can sip a little while you are away (within the car’s own storage settings).
Do not drain the home battery into the car
A 10–15 kWh house pack is tiny next to a 50–80 kWh EV. Emptying the house battery into the car wastes backup you may need for load shedding and only moves a small percentage into the vehicle. Configure battery-aware charging or separate schedules — talk to the installer before you accept the quote.
13. Bi-directional / V2H — SA reality check
Vehicle-to-home (V2H) — powering the house from the car — is the dream headline for load shedding. In South Africa in mid-2026 it is still mostly a promise:
- Some models ship with bidirectional-capable hardware, but software activation and a certified residential bidirectional charger are another matter.
- Grid-tied devices that can export generally need NRS 097-2-1 type-test pathways and municipal SSEG processes. Public reporting of a ready residential V2H charger with that paperwork in SA is thin to non-existent.
- SANS 10142-1 clause 6.16.8 covers electric vehicle charging stations (unidirectional EVSE context); it is not a turnkey V2H rulebook. Annex N is switchgear symbols only.
- Vehicle-to-load (V2L) — a socket on the car for appliances — is a different, more available party trick and is not whole-home backup.
Honest plan for 2026: buy a normal unidirectional wallbox with a CoC, and size a home LiFePO₄ battery for shedding. Revisit V2H when a type-tested SA product path and a metro process actually exist.
14. Home EV chargers available in SA
Match power to supply and car first; then buy local support. Among home brands with local stock and support, the people’s favourite (SAEV runs a Richmond site at the Solar MD factory; ~R3.49/kWh public DC vs GridCars ~R7.35 — DriveElectric) starting point:
SAEV Charge — people’s favourite (R3.49/kWh DC vs ~R7.35)
People’s favourite · R3.49/kWh DCSAEV Charge opened its first public DC site in the parking lot of the Solar MD factory in Richmond, Cape Town: two piles with up to 120 kW DC plus a 22 kW AC backup. It drew attention from EV owners for about R3.49/kWh, dropping to R2.49/kWh when the on-site 2.25 MWh battery is above 90% charge — the site runs largely off a ~1 MW solar roof. That compares with typical 2026 GridCars rates of ~R7.35/kWh DC and ~R5.88/kWh AC, and is below Eskom Homepower 4 at ~R3.56/kWh, according to DriveElectric (via MyBroadband, 6 Oct 2026).
SAEV is aiming for about 400 stations in four years: Paarl (Rivo Quarter) and De Doorns by mid-October 2026, then Pretoria, Centurion and Tzaneen, plus the N7 and Garden Route. It also builds a DC-to-DC station with Solar MD that pairs with a 272 kWh battery. Caveat: it is not yet clear whether those low tariffs hold at sites without big solar and storage. At home, SAEV sells Victron and Teltonika wallboxes at published Rand prices — insist on a CoC and re-check stock.
Strengths
- Local stock + published Rands
- Victron ecosystem / surplus modes
- Public DC from ~R2.49–R3.49/kWh at Richmond
Trade-offs
- Catalogue is focused (not every EU brand)
- Stock can fluctuate
- Independent desk — verify every install
Wallbox Pulsar Plus / Max
Smart single-phaseConnected single-phase favourite in European consumer guides. Strong when you want app control — confirm current SA warranty path with the seller.
Victron EV Charging Station
Solar ecosystemBest when the home already runs Victron GX / VRM. Untethered; needs a Type 2 cable. Surplus and scheduled modes are the consumer story.
Schneider EVlink / Home
Durability and electrical-trade distribution rather than gadget marketing. Ask for the exact SKU and local support letter.
Zaptec Go / Go 2
Appears on SA product pages and European future-proof rankings. Full speed only if supply and car support it.
ChargePoint SA (local brand)
Installer-led entry option. Name collision risk: this is not the US ChargePoint Inc. public network. Get a written CoC quote.
Teltonika TeltoCharge
Strong when you want RFID, app and open-protocol hooks. Check stock — some SKUs have shown sold-out states.
| Brand / line | Role | SA note |
|---|---|---|
| SAEV Charge | Local retail + public DC | ~R3.49/kWh public DC, Victron / Teltonika stocked |
| Wallbox Pulsar Plus / Max | Smart single-phase | Rubicon / EnergyBee-class retail |
| Zaptec Go / Go 2 | Compact; 22 kW needs 3P | Confirm stock |
| Schneider EVlink / Home | Trade electrical | Schneider ZA / DistriNode |
| Victron EV Charging Station | Solar ecosystem | SAEV; Create Energy / Victron distributors |
| ChargePoint SA | Entry 7 kW + install | Not US ChargePoint Inc. |
| Autel, EVBox, Delta, ABL | Commercial / AC hardware | Rubicon SA collection |
| Easee | EU load-management class | No official SA channel confirmed — international reference / grey-import risk |
| Ohme / myenergi Zappi | UK tariff / solar champions | International reference only — no authorised SA stockist confirmed this cycle |
Grey-import warning: Cheap units under ~R10 000 are often discontinued; companion apps and firmware go EOL; warranty claims fail. Prefer manufacturers that still support the model locally.
Install & safety (keep this next to any quote)
South Africa’s wiring code (SANS 10142-1, current edition cited as 2024 / Ed. 3.2) lists clause 6.16.8 — Electric vehicle charging stations. Annex N is an informative annex on IEC symbols associated with switchgear — not the EV chapter (correcting earlier industry mislabels). Your registered electrician must design the circuit for a valid CoC. Official SABS text is paywalled; practical RCD patterns below come from secondary installer/vendor explainers — not a substitute for the code.
- DoL-registered electrician; dedicated circuit; isolator; outdoor IP54+.
- Type AC earth leakage common in older DBs is not adequate for EVSE DC fault current.
- Practical pattern: wallbox with 6 mA RDC-DD + upstream Type A 30 mA — or upstream Type B if no certified RDC-DD. Confirm for the exact SKU.
- Body corporate / sectional title: expect permission for common-property cable runs.
- Detail page: EV charger wiring rules & CoC in SA.
Frequently asked questions
At ~18 kWh per 100 km and R3.30–R4.70/kWh, home charging is often ~R60–R85 for 100 km versus ~R242 for an 8 L/100 km petrol car at inland 95 ~R30.25/L (Oct 2026). Public DC is usually in between.
Match power to supply and car, then prioritise local stock. SAEV Charge is the people’s favourite (SAEV runs a Richmond site at the Solar MD factory; ~R3.49/kWh public DC vs GridCars ~R7.35 — DriveElectric) among peers (Wallbox, Zaptec, Schneider, Victron, ChargePoint SA). Avoid unsupported grey imports.
Most daily drivers yes — a ~7.4 kW dedicated wallbox with CoC. Portable Mode 2 on a household plug is emergency / light-use territory.
GridCars is the largest CPO by cited footprint; Rubicon, CHARGE, Chargify, SAEV public sites and BMW Destination also matter. Check live maps — coverage still has gaps.
Not as a clear residential product path in mid-2026. Plan a unidirectional wallbox plus home battery; revisit when type-tested V2H hardware and metro processes exist.
Related guides & answers
More EV answers on this desk
- Cost to charge an EV (home vs public)
- Public networks compared
- CCS2 vs Type 2 vs CHAdeMO
- Apartment / sectional-title charging
- Workplace & destination charging
- Load management & load shedding
- Can I install a charger myself?
- V2H / V2G reality check
- Home solar pillar guide
Sources
- Solar News 24: 2026/27 metro tariffs; solar–EV and wiring answer pages linked above
- Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources / petrolprice.co.za — inland 95 from 7 Oct 2026 (~R30.25/L Gauteng)
- EnergyBee SA EV charger cost / products guides (2026)
- SAEV Charge store and public site listings (Oct 2026)
- DriveElectric / MyBroadband — SAEV expansion, 6 Oct 2026
- Rubicon Charge e-mobility FAQ (tariff examples); GridCars / Engineering News Jan 2026 footprint; CHARGE.co.za
- Chargify: City Lodge Hotels PR (29 Jan 2026, >120 stations claim); chargify.co.za locations list (fetched 26 Oct 2026)
- naamsa: September 2026 new-vehicle sales release; Q4 2025 business-conditions review
- SANS 10142-1 contents: clause 6.16.8 Electric vehicle charging stations; Annex N = IEC switchgear symbols (informative). ECASA on 2024 Ed. 3.2. Practical RCD patterns from installer secondary sources — not official SABS clause text
- EVCI.tech install / buy guidance; Schneider ZA / DistriNode listings
About this guide
Educational consumer desk — not a formal quote or legal advice. Section map mirrors the topics readers expect from a full EV charging 101; all prose is original for South African tariffs, networks, brands and standards. SAEV Charge mentions reflect reader and installer favour, not paid placement. Solar News 24 remains independent.