South Africa’s commercial and industrial sectors are facing a more complex infrastructure landscape, where energy security, rising costs, electricity market reform, decarbonisation and water resilience increasingly influence the same investment and operational decisions.

The C&I Energy + Storage Summit, taking place on 28 and 29 October 2026 in Johannesburg, will bring these issues together through a two-day programme focused on practical strategies for cost certainty, energy security and long-term industrial resilience.

Co-located with the Summit are the Energy Intensive Users Group Annual Conference and Water Security Africa Johannesburg, creating a broader meeting point for C&I energy users, major industrial consumers, municipalities, utilities, policymakers, financiers, project developers and technology providers.

Together, the three programmes will examine how businesses can respond to infrastructure constraints while remaining competitive, financeable and resilient.

C&I Energy + Storage Summit: from energy security to commercial optimisation

The C&I Energy + Storage Summit programme focuses on the decisions commercial and industrial energy users are making now, from managing electricity costs and securing supply to evaluating storage, renewable generation, wheeling and alternative procurement models.

Energy storage features prominently, with discussions moving beyond backup power to examine commercial value through peak shaving, tariff optimisation, energy arbitrage, renewable firming and hybrid PV-plus-BESS models.

The programme will also explore electricity market reform, public-private collaboration, alternative generation, energy efficiency and the practical steps required to move projects from strategy through financing, construction and operation.

A dedicated C&I decision clinic will give delegates the opportunity to submit real project challenges for expert guidance, including questions around onsite solar versus wheeled PPAs, appropriate battery sizing, project bankability, municipal engagement and financing requirements.

Featured contributors include Ncubeko April of Isuzu Motors South Africa, Nicky Louw of Scaw Metals South Africa and Melusi Tshabalala, CEO of Mesama Energy, alongside experts from finance, energy trading, utilities and the project development community.

EIUG Conference: protecting South Africa’s industrial competitiveness

Now in its third year and co-located with the C&I Energy + Storage Summit, the EIUG Conference  brings together government, industry leaders, energy‑intensive consumers, and service providers to exchange perspectives, strengthen industrial competitiveness, and explore solutions for South Africa’s energy future.

The two‑day programme features ministerial and industry keynotes, panel discussions on tariff escalation, carbon tax, CBAM, and electricity market reforms, as well as masterclasses on financing, digitalisation, grid security, and hydrogen development. Delegates will also benefit from networking functions, case study presentations, and practical workshops designed to accelerate the just energy transition.

Speakers include Dr Tebogo Makube, Acting Deputy Director General at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, Dr Grove Steyn, Managing Director of Meridian Economics, Muhammed Patel, Senior Economist at Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies, Rivoningo Mnisi, Group Executive at Eskom Green and Murendeni Matshinyatsimbi, Renewable Energy Manager at Sibanye-Stillwater.

The programme also features Nellis Bester, Chairperson of the Ferro Alloy Producers Association, Masopha Moshoeshoe, Advisor to the Minister of Electricity and Energy on Green Hydrogen, Shalendra Subramoney of the Minerals Council South Africa and Robbie Louw of Promethium Carbon.

“The EIUG Conference is more than a gathering – it is a platform to shape South Africa’s industrial energy future,” says Fanele Mondi, EIUG CEO. “By bringing together government, industry, and service providers, we aim to foster open dialogue and practical solutions that support competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience.”

Water Security Africa Johannesburg: resilience beyond electricity

Water Security Africa Johannesburg, also co-located with the C&I Energy + Storage Summit, extends the conversation beyond electricity to another critical constraint on industrial growth: reliable water supply.

The programme has been developed around the realities facing commercial and industrial water users, including ageing infrastructure, unreliable municipal supply, climate pressures, rising costs and regulatory reform.

Its 2026 focus moves from identifying water risk towards implementing solutions, with emphasis on industrial water resilience, alternative supply, reuse and recycling, non-revenue water reduction, municipal infrastructure recovery and smarter water management.

Digitalisation is a major theme, including smart water systems, digital twins, artificial intelligence and predictive analytics.

Sector-focused conversations will explore water stewardship across food, beverage and agriculture, water-resilient buildings and precincts, and the growing opportunity to transform wastewater into a strategic resource through reuse, resource recovery and circular water systems