Why SA’s energy future begins at the tap

Kwikot Managing Director Murray Crow. Image supplied.

We are entering a new renaissance, but unlike the cultural rebirth of the 1500s, today’s renaissance is driven not only by creativity and philosophy, but by technology that rewrites the rules of energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, and how societies function. For South Africa and the wider continent, the next industrial leap will be defined by how effectively we modernise the systems we rely on every day: energy, water, household infrastructure, and the built environment.

And often, the story of innovation starts somewhere deceptively simple: the humble water heater.

A new renaissance built on infrastructure, not just innovation

Global energy transitions are often discussed in terms of megaprojects: solar farms, grid reforms, utility-scale storage. But revolutions in society rarely begin with big projects; they begin when millions of ordinary people adopt new habits, new technologies and new efficiencies.

In the Renaissance, that was the printing press.
In the Industrial Revolution, it was the steam engine.
In the Digital Revolution, it was personal electronics.

In South Africa’s next leap, it will be household-level infrastructure, like energy-efficient water heating, that shifts the trajectory of national consumption.

Water heating accounts for up to 40% of residential electricity use. Around 80% of South African homes have a traditional electric geyser. When you modernise one appliance with smarter engineering, you modernise the system around it: demand, grid stability, household cost efficiency, and long-term climate resilience.

This is where the new Renaissance becomes practical and powerful.

The convergence of technology: Where heat, data and design meet

Today, the converging technologies shaping the next century — AI, IoT, predictive maintenance, and energy management are starting to influence the built environment in ways unimaginable even a decade ago.

For our sector, three transformative trends will define the next five years:

Smart heat becomes smart data

Electric and solar water heaters are evolving into data-aware devices. Predictive diagnostics will soon allow installers, manufacturers and homeowners to anticipate maintenance long before a failure.

This shift mirrors what happened in the automotive sector: data reduces downtime, improves safety, and lowers the long-term cost of ownership.

Hybrid systems will replace single-source heating

South Africa’s next big adoption curve is hybrid: electric + solar + heat pump integration. The geyser is no longer a standalone appliance, but a node in a distributed energy ecosystem.

This aligns with the global move towards “prosumer households”- homes that both consume and generate energy.

Regulation becomes a driver of innovation

South Africa’s compliance landscape — SANS 151, SANS 10254, VC9006, and pressure valve requirements — has historically been seen as restrictive.

But in the coming industrial renaissance, regulatory frameworks are becoming essential guardrails for innovation.

Efficiency standards push engineering forward.
Safety standards build trust.
And national deviations ensure products are designed specifically for South African conditions.

These shifts will define which brands lead and which fall behind.

Sustainability

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The next revolution in our industry is human, not only technological

Technology alone does not create transformation. People do.
The plumbers install systems.
The technicians train on new standards.
The manufacturers design for local realities.
The households make informed choices.

South Africa’s plumbing and water-heating ecosystem is undergoing its own professional renaissance: improved training, higher compliance awareness, and new certification pathways aligned with global best practice.

As the industry modernises, we expect three human-centred trends to accelerate:

Skills elevation becomes a national priority

Our sector cannot scale without elevating artisanship. Future plumbers will be part technician, part energy consultant, part digital operator.

Service becomes as important as the appliance

Consumers are increasingly demanding transparent installation, maintenance, and warranty experiences. Service will be a differentiator in a world where hardware alone is no longer enough.

Public education becomes central to energy transition

South Africans are hungry for simple, trustworthy, jargon-free information on how to reduce electricity use without sacrificing comfort. Brands that invest in education, not just sales, will shape the national narrative.

What the next 10 years mean for South African business and consumers

The implications of this new renaissance extend beyond our sector:

• Energy-efficient design will influence architecture, property development, hospitality, healthcare, and retail.
  
• Smart installation ecosystems will integrate into security, home automation and fintech.
  
• Manufacturer-led training pipelines will create new job pathways for youth and artisans.
  
• Data-rich infrastructure will reshape insurance, compliance, and after-sales service models.
  
• Local manufacturing expansion will stimulate supply chains in steel, components, logistics, and technical services.

A once-overlooked appliance is evolving into a cornerstone of South Africa’s energy transformation.

Why the future of innovation is rooted in reliability

A renaissance is not defined by breakthroughs; it’s defined by what people choose to adopt.

If South African homes adopt the next generation of water-heating technology, the country gains:

• Lower household energy costs
  
• Reduced grid pressure
  
• Increased energy resilience
  
• Safer installations
  
• Future-ready infrastructure
  
• Skilled jobs and industry growth

The next revolution will not be digital only. It will be infrastructural.
It will be energy-efficient.
And it will begin with future-minded manufacturing and skilled human hands.

Just as past renaissances shaped the trajectories of nations, today’s choices will define South Africa’s energy landscape for decades.

The question is no longer what is possible.
It’s what we choose to build next and how quickly we are prepared to build it.