VUKA Group has unveiled the comprehensive programme for the C&I Energy + Storage Summit, set to take place on 4-5 November 2025 at The Maslow Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg. The summit aims to equip commercial and industrial (C&I) leaders with strategies to enhance energy resilience, reduce costs and navigate market reforms amid South Africa’s evolving energy landscape.
“We are once again working with the Energy Intensive Users Group to bring the most relevant information to commercial and industrial companies who are wanting to understand the changing power landscape, explore embedded generation options and get practical insights into the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and its impact on South African industry,” says Chanelle Hingston, Group Director, Power & Energy, VUKA Group.
Programme highlights
The programme kicks off with powerful keynote sessions on Day 1. To take note of is a welcome address by Murendeni Matshinyatsimbi, Chairman of the Energy Intensive Users Group (EIUG) and a panel discussion which focuses on Resilient operations – water & energy in an integrated risk framework. This cross-sector panel explores how businesses in water-intensive and energy-dependent industries are building operational resilience by integrating water and energy risk into a unified framework. As resource insecurity grows, driven by climate variability, regulatory pressure and infrastructure constraints, companies must move beyond siloed approaches. The discussion will surface practical insights from mining, agri-processing and manufacturing leaders on aligning sustainability goals with risk management strategies that protect both water and energy assets.
A Project Spotlight session showcases transformative C&I energy projects across South Africa, focusing on business models, technologies and replicability. The day includes a Sector Q&A on leadership in energy storage, exploring battery systems, ROI and financing models like PPAs and leasing. Masterclasses delve into building bankable PPA portfolios for EPCs and wheeling mechanisms for flexible financing.
Day 2 begins with a bang as the panel on Market design in flux examines sector unbundling, wheeling and opportunities for C&I players. Masterclasses cover energy efficiency as a “first fuel,” battery lifecycle management, circular economy pathways for storage and carbon markets including the impact of CBAM on South African exports. Additional sessions address time-of-use tariffs for cost certainty and the role of traders and aggregators in a liberalised market.
Advisory board
The programme was developed with input from an esteemed advisory board (https://apo-opa.co/46G24or), including Fanele Mondi, CEO of the Energy Intensive Users Group of South Africa (EIUG); Liana Braxton, Managing Director of SoSimple Energy; Pitso Sekhoto, Middle Manager at the National Transmission Company of South Africa; Duduzile Makhathini, Energy Manager at Goldfields; and Maudene van Rooyen, Specialist: Power and Sustainable Solutions at Standard Bank, amoung others. Their expertise ensures the content is practical and forward-looking.
Africa Fact: Kumbi Saleh, the capital of Ancient Ghana, flourished from 300 to 1240 AD. Located in modern day Mauritania,
archaeological excavations have revealed houses, almost habitable today, for want of renovation and several storeys high. They had underground rooms, staircases and connecting halls. Some had nine rooms. One part of the city alone is estimated to have housed 30,000 people.
Crash Enforcer
Nonkululeko Gobodo first made news as the first black female Chartered Accountant in South Africa. Since then, she\’s continued to make news as a trailblazer and renowned leader of her generation. Recently, Gobodo led the successful merger of two medium-sized black accounting firms, a move that has altered the accounting landscape in South Africa. SizweNtsalubaGobodo is now the fifth largest accounting firm in South Africa with an African footprint. But Gobodo made the decision to once again go her own way by launching Nonkululeko Leadership Consulting.