Appliances - Key Information on South Africa

As model calculations show, enormous efficiency improvements can be achieved, especially if old inefficient models are replaced by modern efficient ones. The calculations of the efficiency scenario are based on the assumption that every time a new TV is bought, the most efficient “Best Available Technology” (BAT) model is chosen and that the improvements of the most efficient models over the years are taken into account.

By this means, even an absolute decoupling of the annual energy consumption and the increasing stock of TVs can be achieved. While the stock is expected to grow by 22 % between 2010 and 2020, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption can be reduced by 25 %. Although the stock is expected to grow by another 27 % until 2030, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption can be further reduced by 65 %. Thereby, higher living standards (e.g. increasing appliance ownership rates and household numbers) have been anticipated. In contrast, in the baseline scenario with moderate efficiency gains the energy consumption would still increase by 12 % by 2020 before the energy consumption can be reduced between 2020 and 2030 by 26 % (cf. 65 % in the efficiency scenario).

Televisions are categorised as essential appliances by all income groups and, with few exceptions, a TV is one of the first three electronic appliances that a household will purchase. The country also has high daily viewing rates by international norms of above 4 hours per day. The global TV market is highly competitive and new models are constantly being introduced with new innovations offering ever improved viewing and features. In 2014 the global market is transforming from LCD to LED as the new market standard. These TVs are very efficient compared to their predecessors but South Africa has large stocks of previous generation technology, such as CRT and LCD, which are less efficient. TVs are omnipresent in modern society with many homes having multiple TV sets in the house and the same products can also be found in restaurants, coffee shops, bars, offices and shopping centres.

TVs are popular across all income groups and the number of hours spent in front of TVs is high. In South Africa the average hours watched per day is 4. Typical TV sizes have increased over the years as technology has improved and consumers have responded to this innovation. The improved energy performance of TVs is thus offset to a certain extent by the significantly increasing average screen size and additional functionalities.

South Africa introduced a voluntary energy label for refrigerators and freezers in 2005. The label was based on the EU design and the objective was to extend this to other large appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers and dryers but this did not materialise. National Standards for appliances were issued in 2009. VC 9008 published by the Minister of Trade and Industry on 28 November 2014 sets a date for all audio and visual equipment to comply with SANS 941 by 28 May 2015, where the requirement is that the standby power is < 1 W.

The South African Bureau of Standards has adopted IEC 62087 as national test standard SABS 62087:2008 “Audio and Video Equipment”. The standard specifies methods of measurement for the power consumption of television sets, video recording equipment, Set Top Boxes (STBs), audio equipment and multi-function equipment for consumer use. Television sets include, but are not limited to, those with CRT, LCD, PDP or projection technologies.

As model calculations show, enormous efficiency improvements can be achieved, especially if old inefficient models are replaced by modern efficient ones. The calculations of the efficiency scenario are based on the assumption that every time a new Electric Water Heater is bought, the most efficient “Best Available Technology” (BAT) model is chosen and that the improvements of the most efficient models over the years are taken into account. By this means, even an absolute decoupling of the annual energy consumption and the increasing stock of Electric Water Heaters can be achieved. While the stock is expected to grow by 45 % between 2010 and 2020, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption can be reduced by 12 %. Although the stock is expected to grow by another 44 % until 2030, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption can be reduced by another 3 %. Thereby, higher living standards (e.g. increasing appliance ownership rates and household numbers) have been anticipated. In contrast, in the baseline scenario with moderate efficiency gains the energy consumption would increase by 21 % until 2020.

The electric water heater (geyser) market in South Africa is well established and is controlled by a small number of local manufacturing companies. The vast majority of middle and upper income households use the same technology, which is a 150 L water tank that uses a 3 kW electric heating element. As the technology is straightforward, products are largely homogenous and manufacturers compete mainly on price, guarantees, distribution and support. Market volumes are usually stable and predictable from year to year but can also increase by as much as 20 % during construction booms.

The most popular format in South Africa is the closed 150 L geyser. This format accounts for as much as 80 % of the geyser market. A MEPS, in the form of maximum allowable standing losses per 24 hours, is in place but the current level of requirements is low and should be improved as soon as possible. As geysers are a homogenous product group, which is typically not purchased by the household, there is little focus on energy performance. This is generally done retrospectively by installing a SWH collector or Heat Pumps.

All geysers in South Africa are required to comply with mandatory safety standards, administered by the Bureau of Standards (SABS). The national standard includes a maximum allowable standing loss, which is measured in kWh/24 hours. All models must comply with this requirement in order to be certified. This MEPS, which came into effect in mid-1970ies, has not been improved since it was introduced. The updated national standard (SANS 151) of 2013 requires all geysers to display also an energy label but the level of the MEPS was not yet improved.

All electric geysers in South Africa must comply with the South African National Standard (SANS) 151:2013 Edition 7.1 “Fixed Electric Water Storage Heaters”. SANS 151 is a specific South African standard and is not linked directly to any International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) or other Standard. Under this standard all units must meet requirements for standing losses over a 24-hour period.

As model calculations show, enormous efficiency improvements for Dryers and Washer dryers can be achieved, especially if old inefficient models are replaced by modern efficient ones. The calculations of the efficiency scenario are based on the assumption that every time a new product is bought, the most efficient “Best Available Technology” (BAT) model is chosen and that the improvements of the most efficient models over the years are taken into account. By this means, an absolute decoupling of the annual energy consumption and the increasing stock can be achieved. Thereby, higher living standards (e.g. increasing appliance ownership rates and household numbers) have been anticipated.

Dryers

While the stock is expected to grow by 45 % between 2010 and 2020, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption can be reduced by 41 %. Although the stock is expected to grow by another 71 % until 2030, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption would decrease by 14 %. In contrast, in the baseline scenario with moderate efficiency gains the energy consumption would increase by 16 % by 2020 and 19 % between 2020 and 2030.

Washer dryers

While the stock is expected to grow by 59 % between 2010 and 2020, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption can be reduced by 7 %. Although the stock is expected to grow by another 24% until 2030, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption can be further reduced by 7 %.  In contrast, in the baseline scenario with moderate efficiency gains the energy consumption would increase by 26 % by 2020 and 10 % between 2020 and 2030.

Dryers and Washer dryers are commonly ranked even below washing machines in South Africa, which are themselves considered as non-essential appliances by lower and middle-income groups. It is also not surprising that with a sub-tropical climate, dryers and washer dryers are literally ‘nice to have’ appliances and this is reflected in their low penetration rates of 10% and 3% respectively. Dryers in particular have still not managed to reclaim their former annual sales figures, which peaked in 2006. Sales of washer dryers continue to grow but off a small base.

The dryer market has until recently been characterized by inefficient but robust models which were locally manufactured. In the past, especially high-income households enjoyed low electricity tariffs, large homes with plenty of space for additional appliances, which were convenient to have during infrequent spells of wet weather. This dynamic has changed with electricity tariffs increasing significantly, average home sizes getting smaller (both physically and by number of occupants). Local manufacturing continues but the technology has been upgraded from an energy class E or worse to a C. This is due to the Government’s intention to introduce MEPS and with increased competition from imported models, which offer greater functionality and higher efficiency levels. Washer dryers are even more targeted to high-income households who value convenience over cost. Sales of these appliances remained flat during the economic downturn and showed strong growth (7%) in 2013, which was the best performing sub-category in the laundry appliance category.

South Africa introduced a voluntary energy label for refrigerators and freezers in 2005. The label was based on the EU design and the objective was to extend this to other large appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers and dryers but this did not materialise. National Standards for appliances were issued in 2009. VC 9008 published by the Minister of Trade and Industry on the 28 November 2014 sets a date for the start of S&L programme. For dryers and washer dryers this is 28 August 2015 and the MEPS have been set at level C and level A respectively.

Dryers

According to the SANS 61121:2010 Edition 1.1 "South African National Standard dryers for household use - Methods for measuring the performance", the Energy efficiency class for Tumble dryers will be determined based on the type of dryer.

Washer Dryers

According to the SANS 50229:2010 Edition 1 "South African National Standard Electric clothes washer-dryers for household use — Methods of measuring the performance", a washer-dryer is defined as a "washing machine which includes both a water extraction (spin) function and also a means for drying the textiles, usually by heating and tumbling".

For application examples of the standards see also the full-text version of the country report below.

As model calculations show, enormous efficiency improvements can be achieved, especially if old inefficient models are replaced by modern efficient ones. The calculations of the efficiency scenario are based on the assumption that every time a new dishwasher is bought, the most efficient “Best Available Technology” (BAT) model is chosen and that the improvements of the most efficient models over the years are taken into account. By this means, even an absolute decoupling of the annual energy consumption and the increasing stock of dishwashers can be achieved. While the stock is expected to grow by 47 % between 2010 and 2020, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption can be reduced by 25 %. Although the stock is expected to grow by another 48 % until 2030, in the efficiency scenario the growth of the energy consumption can be mitigated to 11 %. Thereby, higher living standards (e.g. increasing appliance ownership rates and household numbers) have been anticipated. In contrast, in the baseline scenario with moderate efficiency gains the energy consumption would increase by 16 % by 2020 and 25 % between 2020 and 2030.

Dishwashers in South Africa are almost exclusively used in upper income family households who buy full size units with 12 or more place settings. Consequently, dishwashers have a household penetration rate of only 4%. Sales of dishwashers experienced growth in the period 2003 – 2007 but the economic recession resulted in a drop in annual sales from 2008. The market consolidated within two years with sales not dropping below 2003 levels. This inelastic development demonstrates that a specific segment of the market considers dishwashers as essential appliances. However, manufacturers have not been able to penetrate into new market segments, such as upper middle income and single/double occupancy households. This is evidenced by full size units consistently having over 80% market share.

The dishwasher market in South Africa is characterized by high-end machines, which are often already water and energy efficient. Buyers of this appliance group are usually more likely to consider the general performance of dishwashers, including noise levels and other so-called ‘smart features’ (Euromonitor, 2014). Thereby, since 2010 all products including entry-level machines in South Africa are energy class of A or better. This is possible as all machines are imported from world regions with already regulated markets (e.g. EU), but it can be also inferred that manufacturers have recognised the relevance for the buyer’s decision-making process.

South Africa introduced a voluntary energy label for refrigerators and freezers in 2005. The label was based on the EU design and the objective was to extend this to other large appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers and dryers but this did not materialise. National Standards for appliances were issued in 2009. VC 9008 published by the Minister of Trade and Industry on 28 November 2014 sets a date for the start of the S&L programme. For dishwashers this is 28 August 2015 and the MEPS has been set at level A.

For dishwashers, the Energy efficiency class can be determined based on the Energy efficiency index, E_I, as set out in Table AA.1 of SANS 50242:2010, Edition 1, South African National Standard “Electric dishwashers for household use — Methods for measuring the performance”.

For application examples of the standard see also the full-text version of the country report below.

As model calculations show, enormous efficiency improvements for washing machines can be achieved, especially if old inefficient models are replaced by modern efficient ones. The calculations of the efficiency scenario are based on the assumption that every time a new washing machine is bought, the most efficient “Best Available Technology” (BAT) model is chosen and that the improvements of the most efficient models over the years are taken into account. By this means, even an absolute decoupling of the annual energy consumption and the increasing stock of washing machines can be achieved. While the stock is expected to grow by 73 % between 2010 and 2020, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption can be reduced by 12 %. Although the stock is expected to grow by another 53 % until 2030, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption would only rise by 2 %. Thereby, higher living standards (e.g. increasing appliance ownership rates and household numbers) have been anticipated. In contrast, in the baseline scenario with moderate efficiency gains the energy consumption would increase by 38 % by 2020 and 20 % between 2020 and 2030.

Washing machines are considered as non-essential appliances by the lower and middle-income groups in South Africa, and thus have a penetration rate of less than 50% amongst households. However, they are on top of the list of appliances to be purchased when living standards rise. Top load machines have and continue to be the preferred choice in South Africa due to their traditionally larger drum sizes and lower price point. Front load machines, the preferred choice of high-end consumers, are growing in popularity and gain market share with every year that passes. Semi-automatic machines, which do cold washes only, are popular with low-end consumers. After experiencing high growth rates from 1999, sales growth was negative from 2007 to 2010 due to weak economic conditions. As all automatic washing machines are imported nowadays, the market is sensitive to currency fluctuations. Due to the weak economic conditions and the depreciation of the South African currency in recent years it is most likely that sales will remain under pressure in the near future.

The washing machine market in South Africa had a transformation in 2009/10 when consumers were offered, and opted for, machines with much larger washing capacities. Up until this time units were commonly < 5kg but have now moved to an average size of 7kg. In addition there have been significant advances in technology with all major brands offering some kind of innovation, which claims to be more efficient and effective. There is little doubt that these new generation machines use less energy and water than machines from 10 years ago. However, the increased drum size of 20-60% means that some of this efficiency might be lost, if the machines are operated inadequately. As all automatic washing machines are now imported, consumers have access to the latest technologies and almost all front load machines are energy class B or better. It is unclear how top load machines perform.

South Africa introduced a voluntary energy label for refrigerators and freezers in 2005. The label was based on the EU design and the objective was to extend this to other large appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers and dryers but this did not materialise. National Standards for appliances were issued in 2009. VC 9008 published by the Minister of Trade and Industry on the 28 November 2014 sets a date for the start of S&L programme. For automatic washing machines this is the 28th of August 2015 and the MEPS has been set at level A.

According to the SANS 60456:2007 Edition 2 South African National Standard “Clothes washing machines for household use - Methods for measuring the performance standard”, a washing machine is defined as follows: “An appliance for cleaning and rinsing of textiles using water which may also have a means of extracting excess water from the textiles”. The standard includes a specific set of formulas to derive the respective energy class for washing machines.

For application examples of the standard see also the full-text version of the washing machines country report below.

As model calculations show, enormous efficiency improvements for Fridge/freezers and Freezers can be achieved, especially if old inefficient models are replaced by modern efficient ones. The calculations of the efficiency scenario are based on the assumption that every time a new product is bought, the most efficient “Best Available Technology” (BAT) model is chosen and that the improvements of the most efficient models over the years are taken into account. By this means, an absolute decoupling of the annual energy consumption and the increasing stock can be achieved. Thereby, higher living standards, represented by increasing appliance ownership rates and household numbers, have been anticipated.

Fridge/freezers
While the stock of Fridge/freezers is expected to grow by 55 % between 2010 and 2020, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption can be reduced by 21 %. Although the stock is expected to grow by another 41 % until 2030, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption would further decrease by 20 %. In contrast, in the baseline scenario with moderate efficiency gains the energy consumption would increase by 17 % by 2020 and 7 % between 2020 and 2030.

Freezers
While the stock of Freezers is also expected to grow by 55 % between 2010 and 2020, in the efficiency scenario the rise of the energy consumption can be mitigated to 11 %. Although the stock is expected to grow by another 44 % until 2030, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption would even decrease by 19 %. In contrast, in the baseline scenario with moderate efficiency gains the energy consumption would increase by 26 % by 2020.

The refrigerator market in South Africa is dominated by double door fridge/freezers. The top-freezer configuration is the most popular model, followed by bottom-freezer configuration and then side-by-side units. French formats remain niche, as do wine coolers, although they are growing in popularity. Frost-free formats make up 69% of the market, while the share of cheaper static formats at the lower end of the market decreases every year. The weak economic conditions and the depreciation of the currency means that the market in South Africa is likely to remain under pressure in the near future.

The most popular format in South Africa is the small fridge/freezer bottom mount. Within this category consumers opt for the 250-300L sized units. This format accounts for as much as 91% of the refrigerator market. Frost-free units have grown in popularity. Small chest freezers are also popular in South Africa. As there is no mandatory MEPS in South Africa (before 2015), as recently as 2011 it was possible to find units starting A++ (139kWh/year) right through to G (>700kWh/year). As there is no enforcement, there are large discrepancies and inconsistencies between the energy consumption and the associated energy class claimed by manufacturers and retailers compared to the national standard (SANS 62552).

South Africa introduced a voluntary energy label for refrigerators and freezers in 2005. The label was based on the EU design and the objective was to extend this to other large appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers and dryers. National Standards for appliances were issued in 2009. From 2015, MEPS are expected to come into force, with label class B the highest to remain on the market for refrigerators and C for freezers.

The national standard for refrigerators in South Africa is SANS 62552:2008, which is aligned to IEC 62552:2007. Ten categories of refrigerating appliances have been defined. SANS 62552 includes a specific set of formulas to derive the respective energy class for each refrigerator.

For application examples of the standard see also the full-text version of the refrigerators & freezers country report below.

As model calculations show, enormous efficiency improvements can be achieved, especially if old inefficient models are replaced by modern efficient ones. The calculations of the efficiency scenario are based on the assumption that every time a new Oven is bought, the most efficient “Best Available Technology” (BAT) model is chosen and that the improvements of the most efficient models over the years are taken into account. By this means, even an absolute decoupling of the annual energy consumption and the increasing stock of Ovens can be achieved. While the stock is expected to grow by 40 % between 2010 and 2020, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption can be reduced by 4 %. Although the stock is expected to grow by another 49 % until 2030, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption can be further reduced. Thereby, higher living standards (e.g. increasing appliance ownership rates and household numbers) have been anticipated. In contrast, in the baseline scenario with moderate efficiency gains the energy consumption would increase by 11 % by 2020 and 19 % between 2020 and 2030.

Ovens have a high penetration rate in South African households and are one of the first appliance groups purchased. Ovens experienced strong growth in the late 1990s and early 2000s, averaging close to 7 %. The market is dominated by large (>65 L) models but the medium sized models are gaining in popularity as consequence of the trend towards smaller average household sizes. Nevertheless, small Ovens (<35 L) still make up only a very small percentage of the market.

The Oven market was historically evenly split between free-standing and built in units and shows a move towards cookers since 2003. As the South African households tend to prefer to cook with Ovens and to use microwave Ovens only to heat and defrost food, meaning that the usage Ovens is very high. High-end consumers are also moving increasingly to gas cooking because of the temperature control functionality, lower running costs and energy security, but for now this is generally limited to hobs and all baking and grilling continues to be dominated by electric Ovens. Ovens and refrigerators are the two appliances purchased with highest priority by new households, renovations and first time buyers.

South Africa introduced a voluntary energy label for refrigerators and freezers in 2005. The label was based on the EU design and the objective was to extend this to other large appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers and dryers but this did not materialise. National Standards for appliances were issued in 2009. VC 9008 published by the Minister of Trade and Industry on the 28 November 2014 sets a date for the start of S&L programme. For Ovens this is the 28 August 2015 and the MEPS has been set at level A for small and medium and at level B for large Ovens.

For Ovens, the applicable standard is SANS 50304:2010 “Edition 1 SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL STANDARD - Electric cooking ranges, hobs, Ovens and grills for household use - Methods for measuring performance.

As model calculations show, enormous efficiency improvements can be achieved, especially if old inefficient models are replaced by modern efficient ones. The calculations of the efficiency scenario are based on the assumption that every time a new AC is bought, the most efficient “Best Available Technology” (BAT) model is chosen and that the improvements of the most efficient models over the years are taken into account. By this means, even an absolute decoupling of the annual energy consumption and the increasing stock of AC can be achieved. While the stock is expected to grow by 73 % between 2010 and 2020, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption can be reduced by 7 %. Although the stock is expected to grow significantly by another 120 % until 2030 (following international trends), in the efficiency scenario the increase of energy consumption can be at least mitigated. Thereby, in particular higher living standards (e.g. increasing appliance ownership rates and household numbers) have been anticipated. In contrast, in the baseline scenario with moderate efficiency gains the energy consumption would increase by 27 % by 2020 and 85 % between 2020 and 2030.

AC are not a priority appliance in South Africa but in recent years the popularity has grown in high income households, reaching a 40 % penetration rate in the most affluent homes. In addition to households, split AC are often used in offices without a centralised HVAC system. The AC market was hit hard by the 2008 economic recession and sales bottomed out only in 2011/12. The market started to grow again in 2013 and is expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate of 5 % until 2018. The market in South Africa is dominated by split AC.

The AC market in South Africa is dominated by split unit AC, with window and PTAC types controlling only a small percentage. Traditionally, house-holds have not made relevant use of AC for cooling or heating but this is slowly starting to change amongst high-income households. Nevertheless, the biggest application of AC appliances in South Africa remains in small offices (e.g. in rededicated former residential buildings) without central AC system. This main application has also influenced the usage estimation used for efficiency calculations.

South Africa introduced a voluntary energy label for refrigerators and freezers in 2005. The label was based on the EU design and the objective was to extend this to other large appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers and dryers but this did not materialise. National Standards for appliances were issued in 2009. VC 9008 published by the Minister of Trade and Industry on 28 November 2014 sets a date for the start of a mandatory S&L programme. For AC this is 28 of May 2016 and the MEPS has been set at level B for units not exceeding 7.1 kW (24,000 btu/h).

All AC sold in South Africa must comply with the South African National Standard (SANS) 54511-3:2010 “Air conditioners, liquid chilling packages and heat pumps with electrically driven compressors for space heating and cooling.” This standard conforms to the International Electrotechnical Commission Standard IEC 14511-3:2007.

As model calculations show, enormous efficiency improvements can be achieved, especially if old inefficient models are replaced by modern efficient ones. The calculations of the efficiency scenario are based on the assumption that every time a new Pool Pump is bought, the most efficient “Best Available Technology” (BAT) model is chosen and that the improvements of the most efficient models over the years are taken into account.

By this means, even an absolute decoupling of the annual energy consumption and the increasing stock of Pool Pumps can be achieved. While the stock is expected to grow by 23 % between 2010 and 2020, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption can be reduced by 71 %. Although the stock is expected to grow by another 28 % until 2030, in the efficiency scenario (B) the energy consumption can be further reduced by 42 %. Thereby, higher living standards (e.g. increasing appliance ownership rates and household numbers) have been anticipated. In contrast, in the baseline scenario (A) with moderate efficiency gains the energy consumption would increase by 3 % respectively 2010-2020 and between 2020 and 2030.

Swimming pools are popular in South Africa due to the warm climate, a large percentage of the population living inland and cold sea currents on the south western and western coasts. In recent years pumps for fish ponds and fountains have also grown in popularity. The country’s increasing population, urbanization and densification in major cities is likely to result in fewer new swimming pools but the existing stock, which is sizable, will continue to require pool pumps.

After electric water heating, pool pumps are becoming the next target for upper income households looking to reduce their electricity consumption. Since 2010 efficient pool pumps have entered the South African market but the penetration is still very low even though the financial benefits of reduced operation costs are very attractive.

South Africa introduced a voluntary energy label for refrigerators and freezers in 2005. The label was based on the EU design and the objective was to extend this to other large appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers and dryers but this did not materialise. National Standards for appliances were issued in 2009. VC 9008 published by the Minister of Trade and Industry on 28 November 2014 sets a date for the start of S&L programme. However, South Africa does not have any specific national standards relating to electricity consumption for swimming pool pumps.

SANS 941 - ‘Energy Efficiency for Electrical and Electronic Apparatus‘ identified energy efficiency requirements, energy efficiency labelling, measurement methods and the maximum allowable standby power for a set of appliances. SANS 941 created also the basis for the development of national testing standards in South Africa, which adopted existing International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards. However, pool pumps were not included and consequently, in 2015 South Africa does not have any specific national standards relating to electricity consumption of this product group. Therefore, it is recommended to consider pool pumps in the next selection round of appliances, based on existing international approaches.

As model calculations show, enormous efficiency improvements can be achieved, especially if old inefficient models are replaced by modern efficient ones. The calculations of the efficiency scenario are based on the assumption that every time a new Fan is bought, the most efficient “Best Available Technology” (BAT) model is chosen and that the improvements of the most efficient models over the years are taken into account.
By this means, even an absolute decoupling of the annual energy consumption and the increasing stock of Fans can be achieved. While the stock is expected to grow by 50 % between 2010 and 2020, in the efficiency scenario the energy consumption can be reduced by 37 %. Although the stock is expected to grow by another 83 % until 2030, in the efficiency scenario (B) the increase of the energy consumption can be mitigated to 23 %. Thereby, higher living standards (e.g. increasing appliance ownership rates and household numbers) have been anticipated. In contrast, in the baseline scenario (A) with moderate efficiency gains the energy consumption would increase by 5 % 2010-2020 and by 49 % between 2020 and 2030.

Cooling applications has not been a priority for residential appliances in South Africa but in recent years the demand for Air Conditioners (AC) has grown in high income households, and with the country’s electrification programme Fans are especially present in a growing number of low and middle income homes. The most popular format is the standing fan, followed by desktop and then ceiling fans.

The fan market in South Africa is dominated by standing fans (56 %), followed by desk fans (32 %) and ceiling fans make up the balance (22%).

South Africa introduced a voluntary energy label for refrigerators and freezers in 2005. The label was based on the EU design and the objective was to extend this to other large appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers and dryers but this did not materialise. National Standards for appliances were issued in 2009. VC 9008 published by the Minister of Trade and Industry on the 28 November 2014 sets a date for the start of the S&L programme. However, Fans are not included and South Africa does not have any other national standards relating to electricity consumption for electric Fans.

In line with the South African Bureau of Standards policy of adopting IEC standards, the relevant standard for fans is IEC 60879: “Performance and construction of electric circulating fans and regulators”. All fans must also comply with the South African National Standard (SANS) 60335-2:2009. This standard conforms to the International Electrotechnical Commission IEC 60335-3:2008 (Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety). However the latter standard only covers safety requirements. Overall, South Africa does not have any national standards relating to electricity consumption and energy performance for electric fans.