ELI ( South Africa ) and BONESA Electricity (Pty) Ltd

At the time ELI began, there were approximately 31.5 incandescent light bulbs that could potentially be replaced by CFLs in the residential market. Replacing all of these would cut peak load on the national grid by some 820 megawatts, which is nearly equivalent to the peak load of a city the size of Cape Town (approximately 3,500,000 inhabitants). South Africa also has significant potential lighting savings in other market sectors, including commercial, industrial and institutional, health care facilities and street lighting infrastructure. The goal of the ELI program in South Africa was to save the country from large investments in generation, transmission, and distribution facilities, with the associated greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

ELI-South Africa (ELI-SA) was co-funded by Eskom , South Africa 's national electric utility. The GEF/IFC funds, which represented 24% of the initial budget, were allocated primarily for the low income market segment initiatives. Eskom's funds, which represented the remaining 76% of the initial budget, were directed to activities targeted at higher income residential consumers; commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities; health care facilities; and street lighting infrastructure.

ELI-SA's primary goal was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity sector by building demand in the South African market for energy-efficient lighting. The program's initial focus was on providing access to energy efficient lighting products and services for South Africa 's low-income population. Concurrently, ELI-SA also worked to increase the penetration of energy efficient lighting in the commercial, industrial and institutional sectors, which involved working with various municipal electricity distribution companies throughout the country (including Ethekwini Municipality in Durban, City Power in Johannesburg, Cape Town Unicity, Tshwane Metro, Nelson Mandela Metro in East London), and with community organizations, NGOs, the South African lighting industry, the South African government and municipalities.

ELI-SA's specific objectives in South Africa were:

•  To reach the mid- and high-income residential market segments through the promotion and provision of incentive rebates in shopping centers

•  To reach the lower residential market segments through the recommendation to implement the efficient alternative to the EBSST (Electricity Basic Support Services Tariff or poverty tariff, see section X )

•  To engage the existing distribution infrastructure to supply CFLs and luminaires to the rural areas

•  To work with the municipalities to introduce CFLs in the Rural Development Program's (RDP) newly electrified areas

•  To introduce efficient lighting technologies in the commercial and industrial segments

•  To introduce efficient lighting technologies in public buildings. Activities in this market segment can show society that both the national government and the local authorities are deeply concerned about energy efficiency.

•  To introduce efficient lighting technologies in medical facilities, which has ensured both the reduction in electricity consumption and the improvement of quality in lighting in the public hospitals

•  To introduce efficient lighting technologies in the street lighting infrastructure, especially in the less developed municipalities. This has ensured both the reduction in electricity consumption and the improvement of quality in lighting on the streets.

The Rural Development Program is a project developed in South Africa by the Department of Housing to provide all South African families with a combined monthly income of less than R 3,500 with a proper dwelling, which will enjoy the basic services such as electricity and water.