How to Buy Electricity Online in South Africa: Prepaid Tokens in 3 Minutes (2026)
No more queueing at the garage for electricity. Your meter number plus any phone equals a prepaid token in about three minutes — and if the app charges you nothing for it, a year of top-ups costs exactly what the electricity costs. Here's the whole process.
Quick answer: buying prepaid electricity online takes about three minutes: open the app, choose Electricity, enter your meter number and the amount, pay — and you get a token to type into your meter. It works for both Eskom and municipal prepaid meters, any time of day. The only real difference between channels is the fee: many add a service charge per purchase, while in the SOLmate app electricity purchases cost R0 in fees — R100 buys R100 of power. Full steps, the tariff traps, and the fixes below.
What You Need: One Number
Everything hangs on your prepaid meter number — the long number printed on the meter itself (and on any old token slip). That number tells the system who your supplier is and which meter to generate the token for, so you can't accidentally buy electricity "to the wrong house" any more than you can unlock your door with a stranger's key. If your meter takes tokens, you're prepaid and this guide applies; if you get a monthly bill instead, you're on postpaid and pay through your utility's billing channels.
Buying in the SOLmate App, Step by Step
- Open the app and go to Services.
- Select Electricity.
- Enter your meter number and the amount.
- Review the details and tap Pay.
- Your token appears under Transactions — type the 20 digits into your meter and the units load.
The process is the same in most apps; the full walkthrough for SOLmate's version (including airtime, DStv and other vouchers) is on the vouchers help page. Purchases count toward the wallet's voucher limits — R5,000 a day for electricity — which is more than enough for any household.
Eskom or Municipality? It Doesn't Matter at the Till
South African prepaid meters run on a common standard (STS), and the token is generated for your specific meter regardless of who supplies it. You don't need to know whether your electricity comes from Eskom directly or through your municipality — the meter number carries that information. Where the difference does show up is in what you get per rand, which brings us to the two tariff surprises worth understanding.
"Why Did I Get Fewer Units This Time?" — the Two Honest Answers
Tiered tariffs. On many tariffs the price per unit steps up as you buy more within a calendar month: the first block of units is the cheapest, later blocks cost more. Practical consequence: one big top-up at month-start and a second one mid-month can price differently — and none of it depends on where you bought the token.
Municipal deductions. Some municipalities recover arrears, service charges or debt instalments from prepaid purchases before converting the remainder into electricity. If R200 turned into visibly fewer units than the same R200 last month, the purchase slip usually itemises what was deducted. Again: the app is the messenger here, not the cause — the same deduction happens at any till.
The Fee Question: Where "Free" Actually Matters
The electricity itself costs what the tariff says — but the service fee on top is channel-dependent, and for a purchase most households make two to four times a month, those small fees compound quietly over a year. This is the same logic we unpacked in the guide to bank charges: recurring small fees are the ones worth killing. In the SOLmate app, electricity, airtime, data and water purchases carry no fee at all — the full list is on the fee table. Free times fifty purchases a year is not a small number.
Paying: Wallet Balance Beats Airtime Every Time
Online channels take payment from your account or wallet balance — top the wallet up however suits you and the purchase itself is instant. One route to avoid where possible: buying electricity with airtime. It exists, but airtime is usually bought at a premium and the conversion adds margin, so the same R100 ends up as fewer units. If you regularly convert airtime into essentials, that's the clearest sign you'd be better served by a wallet balance — and an account opens in about 3 minutes with a passport, SA ID or asylum permit.
If Something Goes Wrong
- Token didn't show up. Check Transactions in the app first — successful purchases display the token there. Missing or unreadable? Contact support via in-app chat or WhatsApp; provider-side issues generally resolve within 24 hours.
- Token rejected by the meter. Re-enter carefully (20 digits is 20 chances for a typo), and confirm the purchase was made for your meter number — a token for another meter will never work on yours.
- Bought for the wrong meter number. The token belongs to that meter. Contact support immediately — resolution depends on the provider, which is one more reason to save your meter number in the app after the first purchase and never retype it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I buy electricity online?
App → Electricity → meter number → amount → pay → token appears in Transactions. Type it into the meter. About three minutes end to end.
Is it free?
The electricity costs what the tariff says; the service fee depends on the channel. In the SOLmate app the fee is R0 — R100 buys R100 of power.
Does it work for Eskom and municipal meters?
Yes — prepaid meters share the STS standard, and the token is generated for your meter number whoever the supplier is.
Why fewer units for the same money?
Tiered monthly tariffs (later blocks cost more) or municipal deductions from the purchase. Neither depends on where you bought.
Token didn't arrive?
Transactions section first, then in-app support; typically resolved within 24 hours.
Can I buy with airtime?
Sometimes, but it's usually the most expensive route — wallet balance buys more units for the same money.
Sources: SOLmate vouchers help page, SOLmate fee table, SOLmate limits. Details correct as of August 2026 — tariffs are set by suppliers and municipalities and change annually. SOLmate is not a bank. SOLmate (SOL Ecosystem (Pty) Ltd) is an authorised financial services provider (FSP No. 52248) and registered credit provider (NCRCP16037).