Guide
City & metro tariff framing
Cape Town, Johannesburg, eThekwini, Tshwane and other distributors price electricity differently. Solar payback follows your tariff — especially fixed charges and whether export credits exist.
New: 2026/27 per-kWh rates by metro and how to work out payback from them.
Updated 26 October 2026 · 2026/27 municipal year (from 1 July 2026).
Answer first: Self-consuming solar almost always beats exporting. Fixed municipal charges do not disappear when you install PV. The export credits below are real — and still far below what you pay to buy a kWh.
2026/27 residential export credits (quick table)
| Metro | ≈ Export credit incl. VAT | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | 152.93 c/kWh (107.98 + 25 incentive excl., ×1.15) | Home User SSEG; AMI rules |
| City Power (Joburg) | 143.29 c/kWh (124.60 excl.) | TOU conventional required; prepaid must migrate |
| Tshwane | ≈108.25 c/kWh (94.13 excl., NERSA) | City FAQ still shows 11.99 c — confirm with sseg@tshwane.gov.za; ~R324/month SSEG fixed excl. |
| eThekwini | ≈184.60 c/kWh (160.52 excl.) | R76.83/kVA/month network access excl. on inverter; credits not cash |
Deep dive with primary PDF links: Do municipalities pay for solar feed-in? · Buy rates: 2026/27 per-kWh by metro.
High-level education only — not a tariff quote. NERSA publishes municipal tariff decisions; metros publish SSEG guides. Always check your own bill.
- Identify whether you are on Eskom or a metro tariff
- Note fixed/capacity charges vs energy c/kWh
- Ask about bi-directional metering costs
- Model savings on self-use first, credits second