MEMS stands for Municipal Energy Management Systems. 

It is part of the South AfricanGerman Energy Prorgramme (SAGEN), where eleven South African municipalities are being supported with the adoption of energy management systems for their municipal infrastructure. 

In 2023, two knowledge exchange workshops were held in July and December to:

• facilitate networking among municipal officials
• build relationships and encourage knowledge sharing
• understand the current status of energy information systems
• comprehend the current knowledge amongst the municipalities
• assist municipalities in improving their energy information systems
• establish a network between the municipalities that allow for the exchange of information, knowledge and experience. 

We have asked participants why these workshops are important:

Sindile Buthelezi: “The MEMS workshop helped me to identify the gaps within the city’s energy management policy and how to bridge those gaps.” 

Thabang Kotsokoane: “The MEMS workshop helped me to comprehend a systematic approach to energy management and awareness to funding programs in line with energy efficiency”.

 
The workshop helped Portia Malotane “to have an idea on how the energy management tool looks like and procedures used by other munics to approve their energy management policy”. 

Olga Chauke’s key take away was that “MEMS can assist us to achieve a reduction of our energy consumption, technical losses and increase our revenue”.

If you want to know more about MEMS, please visit the MEMS Resource Portal - a comprehensive reference hub dedicated to Municipal Energy Management Systems tailored specifically for South African municipalities. Through this portal, municipal officials gain access to essential knowledge necessary for strategizing and executing energy management initiatives within their respective municipalities: https://memsresources.org.za/

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Together with South African partners, SAGEN contributes to the country’s transition to a reliable, affordable and clean energy future. SAGEN is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-funded by SECO Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in cooperation with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, the National Treasury of South Africa, Eskom Holdings SOC, the South African Local Government Association and Sanedi.org.