By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed the launch of commercial operations at the Ummbila Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility near Bethal in Mpumalanga.
Ramaphosa officially launched the commencement of commercial operations at the wind energy facility on Friday, 31 July 2026.
He described the project as an important example of how government, the private sector, Eskom and communities can work together to drive infrastructure development and inclusive economic growth.
Ramaphosa congratulated Seriti Green, a proudly South African company, as the Ummbila Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility entered commercial operation.
“Seriti is a company with a proven track record in South Africa’s coal industry, which remains the foundation of our country’s energy production,” he said.
Ramaphosa said the company had chosen to invest in South Africa’s renewable energy future and in doing so, Seriti aligned with the policy position that South Africa’s future energy system will draw on the strengths and resources the country already possesses, including coal-fired power, while embracing new opportunities.
“We commend Seriti for showing confidence in this province and its potential. Today represents far more than the completion of an infrastructure project. This project underscores the value of the partnership between government, Eskom, the private sector and communities.”
The President said South Africa had committed to transitioning its society and economy towards a low-carbon, climate-resilient pathway in line with its domestic and international obligations.
“The achievements of this project are therefore very encouraging.”
“I understand that to date, more than 1 000 jobs have been created through this project, with about half of these jobs going to people living within a 10km radius, “Ramaphosa said.
He said more than 18 500 people had registered on the Seriti Green Skills Hub, where they would be able to access current and future opportunities.
“The fact that more than 50% of those who have registered are women is a promising sign of the potential that this and other projects have to drive women’s economic empowerment,” the President said.
He said the project demonstrated the value of a strong focus on creating meaningful local economic participation and ensuring that surrounding communities benefit directly from the investment.
Seriti Green chief executive Peter Venn said a further R10 billion of investment was signed on Wednesday, with partners including Goldwind and Etana. The next two phases have reached financial close and are under construction.
Venn said a substantial volume of storage is already permitted and in the programme, with construction starting within the next 12 to 18 months, and that storage will play a large part in the energy future of South Africa and particularly of Mpumalanga.
Three phases totalling 465MW reached financial close inside two years, the first in 2024 and two more across August and October 2025.