City Power

What City Power does

City Power is a state-owned municipal electricity utility (City Power (SOC) Ltd) wholly owned by the City of Johannesburg, South Africa, responsible for electricity distribution, billing, and related energy services across the Johannesburg metropolitan area. The utility operates through a physical infrastructure network comprising power lines, switching stations (including its Orlando Switching Station headquarters), substations, and smart metering systems, and purchases bulk electricity from Eskom for redistribution to residential, commercial, industrial, and government customers. The company also operates a small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) registration system for rooftop solar customers and has launched an electric vehicle charging infrastructure programme with a flagship EV Charging Complex in Booysens. In July 2025, City Power took over billing responsibilities from the City of Johannesburg, generating approximately R1.1 billion in additional revenue through correction of under-billed and unbilled accounts, and is executing a Gross Margin Turnaround Project that recovered R1.14 billion through billing fixes and electricity theft reduction (target R2.9 billion by June 2026).

The revenue model is tariff-based and regulated by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa), which approved an 8.63% tariff increase for the 2026/27 financial year effective July 1. Residential, commercial, and industrial customers are billed monthly on a usage basis, with qualifying indigent households receiving free basic electricity and exemptions from monthly service and network capacity charges under the Extended Social Package programme. A separate SSEG pricing regime is being shifted from prepaid (R230/month) to postpaid (R1,070–R1,360/month) billing. The utility faces material operational and financial stress, including R11.82 billion in irregular expenditure since 2021/22, R5.28 billion owed to Eskom (R2.7 billion overdue plus R2.58 billion court-ordered settlement balance), R1.3 billion owed to suppliers, and approximately 30% electricity losses (R5.7 billion). An €200 million KfW development loan agreement in principle is expected before June 2026, alongside a proposed additional R3.8 billion KfW loan to address a R45 billion infrastructure backlog over the next decade.

City Power is led by CEO Tshifularo Mashava, who resigned on 12 February 2025 after a decade leading the utility (final day 30 March 2026), with COO Nancy Maluleke also disclosed. The company serves as the primary electricity distributor within Johannesburg and has registered 693 commercial and 586 residential SSEG customers to date. Its strategic priorities are financial stabilization (debt restructuring with Eskom, KfW financing), operational recovery (theft reduction, billing accuracy), and infrastructure modernization (smart metering, EV charging, embedded generation integration).

Name

City Power

Legal name

City Power (SOC) Ltd

Website

https://citypower.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

City Power (SOC) Ltd is Johannesburg's municipal electricity utility, distributing electricity under regulated Nersa tariffs to residential, commercial, industrial, and government customers across the City of Johannesburg metropolitan area, while operating smart metering, EV charging, and small-scale embedded generation programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Electricity Distribution

NAICS

Electric Power Distribution (221122), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)

SIC

Electric Services (4911), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Power Districts & State/Provincial Utilities (EUADABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meter Installation, Exchange & Field Services (EUADAFAF), EV Charging Operations & Parking-Lot Electrification Management (BPABAKAK), Green Tariffs & Utility Renewable Supply Programs (EUAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Electricity distribution services
• Municipal utility operations
• Smart metering infrastructure
• EV charging networks
• Embedded generation registration

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Others, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Electricity Sales and Distribution: City Power generates revenue through electricity distribution and sales to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Johannesburg. The utility purchases bulk electricity from Eskom and redistributes it to end consumers, with tariff increases of 8.63% implemented for 2026/27 financial year approved by Nersa.
2. Tariff-Based Revenue: Revenue generated through regulated electricity tariffs, with qualifying indigent households receiving exemptions from monthly service and network capacity charges along with free basic electricity under the Extended Social Package programme

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

City Power is Johannesburg's municipal electricity utility, purchasing bulk electricity from Eskom and distributing it across the City of Johannesburg metropolitan area to residential, commercial, industrial, and government customers. The utility also operates smart metering, EV charging infrastructure, and a small-scale embedded generation (rooftop solar) registration system, with tariff-based billing approved by Nersa.

Product overview

City Power is Johannesburg's municipal electricity utility (SOC Ltd) providing electricity distribution, generation services, and related energy solutions to residents and businesses. The utility operates as a single integrated offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, delivering core electricity distribution services alongside ancillary offerings including smart metering, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and billing management. The company is transitioning toward renewable energy integration, including small-scale embedded generation registration for rooftop solar systems, though specific branded product modules are not publicly enumerated.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electricity Distribution and Supply Core electricity distribution service purchasing bulk power from Eskom and redistributing it to residential, commercial, industrial, and government customers within the City of Johannesburg metropolitan area, with Nersa-approved usage-based tariffs billed monthly.
• EV Charging Infrastructure Network Electric vehicle charging station network deployed at service delivery centres, depots, transport routes, and public facilities across Johannesburg, including the EV Charging Complex in Booysens as part of a 10-point energy plan.
• Small-Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) Registration System Solar energy system registration service allowing commercial and residential customers in Johannesburg to formally register rooftop solar installations, with 693 commercial and 586 residential customers registered to date.
• Electricity Billing and Revenue Management Electricity billing service transferred from the City of Johannesburg to City Power in July 2025, including monthly billing, tariff application, and indigent support administration under the Extended Social Package programme.

Quantifiable outcome

• R1.14 billion in revenue recovered through billing fixes and electricity theft reduction
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SAPVIA (South African Photovoltaic Industry Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2026SAPVIA and City Power have begun high-level discussions to address a backlog of small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) applications and stabilise distributed solar energy in Johannesburg. Key issues under negotiation include legacy applications dating from 2022 to August 2025, manual registration inefficiencies, and proposed tariff shifts. SAPVIA has proposed a transitional framework, digital registration models, and ongoing technical collaboration to accelerate solar adoption.
• EskomcoreTechnology or IntegrationCity Power purchases bulk electricity from Eskom for redistribution to Johannesburg customers. City Power owes Eskom R5.28 billion comprising a R2.7 billion overdue current account and R2.58 billion balance of a court-ordered settlement arrangement from November 2025. Eskom has issued notices of possible supply interruptions due to unpaid debts.
• OUTA (Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse)minorOthersOUTA has publicly criticized City Power's registration process for small-scale solar energy systems, claiming it creates unnecessary red tape, delays and administrative burdens. City Power has rejected these allegations, attributing any backlog to installer-side non-compliance with technical and regulatory standards.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd: South Africa's state-owned vertically integrated power utility and City Power's sole bulk electricity supplier. Eskom also distributes directly in some areas and is the benchmark utility peer for the SA electricity sector, with overlapping regulatory and operational exposure.
• eThekwini Electricity: Municipal electricity distributor serving the eThekwini (Durban) metropolitan municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. Operates under the same Nersa regulatory framework as City Power and serves a comparable mix of residential, commercial, and industrial customers in a major SA metro.
• City of Cape Town Electricity Services: Municipal electricity distributor for Cape Town, the Western Cape's largest metro. Directly comparable to City Power in operating model (municipal distributor under Nersa), customer mix, and tariff structure, serving another of South Africa's largest urban economies.
• City of Tshwane Electricity Department: Municipal electricity distributor for the City of Tshwane (Pretoria). Another large Gauteng-province municipal utility operating under the same Nersa framework as City Power, with comparable residential, commercial and government customer mix.
• Centlec (Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality): Municipal electricity distributor for the Mangaung metro (Bloemfontein). Smaller-scale but directly comparable South African municipal electricity utility operating under Nersa regulation with similar tariff-based revenue model and service territory mandate.

Broad incumbents

• Consolidated Edison (ConEdison): Major investor-owned urban electricity distribution utility serving New York City and Westchester. Comparable as a dense metropolitan distribution utility with regulated tariffs, large infrastructure base, and similar challenges in modernizing aging assets and managing losses.
• National Grid (UK): Major UK regulated electricity and gas transmission/distribution utility with system operator role. Comparable in operating regulated distribution networks, managing aging infrastructure, and integrating distributed energy resources at scale.
• Enel SpA: Global integrated electric utility with one of the world's largest distribution networks across Europe and Latin America. Comparable as a regulated distribution operator managing smart meters, distributed generation, EV charging, and grid modernization at scale.
• Hydro-Québec: Vertically integrated Canadian provincial electricity utility with regulated distribution. Comparable as a publicly-owned integrated utility balancing regulated tariffs, infrastructure investment, distributed energy integration, and EV charging rollouts.
• Iberdrola SA: Global integrated utility with major distribution operations in Spain, UK, US (Avangrid) and Brazil. Comparable as a regulated distribution operator with leading positions in renewables integration, smart metering, and EV charging infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CityPowerJhb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City Power