Eskom, a South African public electricity utility, is investigating plans to sell excess daytime electricity to Bitcoin mining companies as rooftop solar panels reduce daytime grid demand.
Speaking at the Biznews 2026 conference in Hermanus, Eskom chairman Mteto Nyati said the utility is evaluating ways to monetize excess power generated in the middle of the day, according to local reporting.
South Africa’s rapid adoption of rooftop solar systems has begun to reshape the country’s electricity demand profile. Many households and businesses now generate their own power during the day, leaving Eskom with unused capacity when solar panels start producing electricity.
Nyati said the pattern is increasingly predictable.
Demand rises early in the morning as households prepare for work and businesses open. As solar generation increases later in the day, grid demand decreases, leaving Eskom with surplus electricity.
Eskom is looking at creative ways and means to use this capacity. One option under review is to offer a discount on electricity to Bitcoin mining companies operating in South Africa. The sector operates large data centers that perform energy-intensive calculations to secure the Bitcoin network.
Nyati said industries such as Bitcoin mining are contributing to increasing global demand for electricity. He said the technology did not exist two decades ago, but now represents a growing source of power consumption.
Selling excess electricity to miners could allow Eskom to generate revenue from power that would otherwise go unused during peak hours.
South African Bitcoin Mining Opportunities
The idea also builds on earlier comments from Eskom CEO Dan Marokane, who said the state-owned utility is exploring opportunities linked to Bitcoin mining, artificial intelligence infrastructure and large data centers.
These sectors require large, continuous electricity supplies and can create new demand for Eskom’s generation fleet.
Nyati framed the initiative as part of a wider strategy to adapt to structural changes in South Africa’s electricity market.
The country’s electricity sector is opening up to private investment, allowing independent companies to build generation capacity and compete in electricity distribution. At the same time, the increasing use of solar cells is moving demand away from the national electricity grid.
Nyati said Eskom needs to adapt to remain viable in a more competitive environment.
Alongside new revenue strategies, Eskom is pursuing cost reductions. Nyati said the utility plans to eliminate about R112 billion in expenditure over the next five years.
Reducing these costs can help lower electricity prices for households and energy-intensive industries such as mining and smelting.
Despite the changes in the energy landscape, Nyati said South Africa still needs a strong national utility.
He argued that Eskom’s coal and nuclear power plants provide the baseload electricity required to support industrial growth and economic development.
The proposal to provide discounted electricity to Bitcoin miners reflects how utilities are beginning to treat flexible energy consumers as tools to balance supply and demand in an evolving electricity system.