South Africa Just Proved Businesses Can Share Renewable Energy Virtually — Here’s Why That Matters

South Africa’s energy system is becoming increasingly digital. Vodacom and Eskom recently marked the first year of their virtual wheeling agreement, demonstrating how renewable electricity can be allocated across multiple business locations through the national grid.

Instead of requiring renewable energy to be generated at the same site where it is consumed, virtual wheeling uses digital systems and energy data to match electricity generated elsewhere with a company’s operations.

For businesses with offices, stores or infrastructure spread across the country, this creates new possibilities for accessing renewable energy without installing generation at every location.

The development also shows how closely energy and technology are becoming connected. As South Africa modernizes its electricity system, digital platforms and smarter infrastructure could become increasingly important to how businesses manage and access cleaner energy.