Does rooftop solar pay back in 2025? Honest numbers for SA homes
With the residential PV rebate gone and tariffs up 12.7%, the maths has actually improved for some households. We walk through a 5 kW system in Joburg, Durban and Stellenbosch.
Does rooftop solar pay back in 2025?
The Section 6C residential solar tax rebate ended on 28 February 2024. That made many South Africans assume rooftop PV had become uneconomic. The opposite is true for high-consumption households — the 2025/26 tariff increase did more for solar payback than the rebate ever did.
A 5 kW grid-tied system in three cities
We assume:
- 5 kW PV (10 panels), no battery, grid-tied with single-phase inverter - Installed cost: R85,000 (mid-market, 2025 prices) - Annual generation: ~ 8,500 kWh (Joburg), ~ 7,800 kWh (Durban), ~ 9,200 kWh (Stellenbosch) - Self-consumption: 70% (typical for a daytime-empty household), the rest exported or curtailed
| City | Tariff displaced | Annual saving | Payback | |---|---|---|---| | Joburg (City Power) | ~ R3.60/kWh marginal | R21,420/yr | 4.0 yrs | | Durban (eThekwini) | ~ R3.20/kWh marginal | R17,472/yr | 4.9 yrs | | Stellenbosch | ~ R3.05/kWh marginal | R19,642/yr | 4.3 yrs |
Where it doesn't pay back
- Households below 600 kWh/month — the cheap block is too cheap to displace economically. - Properties with shading from the south or large trees on the north side. - Tenants on a year-to-year lease (the panels can't move with you, and the body corporate may push back).
What about feed-in tariffs?
City of Cape Town pays small-scale embedded generators (registered residential PV) ~ R0.85/kWh exported. City of Joburg's domestic feed-in is functionally zero in most areas because most prepaid meters cannot run backwards. Always assume zero export revenue when sizing.
How we can help
Use our [Energy Planner](/energy-planner) to model your specific household. If you want a quote from a vetted Western Cape installer, request one through our [SciGrow partner form](/energy-planner) — we earn a small introduction fee, disclosed up front.