South Africa distinguishes between generation and trading. The 100 MW exemption covers generation — projects at or below 100 MW connected to the grid typically register with NERSA rather than obtaining a full generation licence.
Registration (sub-100 MW, grid-connected) is the standard path for C&I and distributed projects. Indicative timeline is approximately 8–10 weeks, subject to complete documentation. Registration fees are published by NERSA and should be confirmed at submission.
Reselling or aggregating electricity — including acting as a trader between sites — requires a separate NERSA trading licence. Generate-and-self-consume on your own site is not trading; wheeling surplus to another offtaker or selling into a market typically is.
Grid Code compliance and a Connection Agreement with NTCSA (formerly Eskom Transmission), a licensed distributor, or municipality remain binding constraints regardless of registration status.