Our third guest is Klemen Belec, Chairman of the DLMS UA Technical Board and a key leader in advancing energy standards worldwide.

We discussed DLMS’s initiatives for Africa, from smart metering and prepaid solutions to partnerships that foster seamless interoperability, providing insights into the collaborative steps essential for an efficient energy future.

Can you tell us more about your work in the DLMS organization (and current company) and plans regarding Energy field in Africa?

In DLMS, I’m taking the position of Chairman of Technical board, which is the board responsible for architecture and technical concepts and questions discussed or developed within DLMS. Recently, one of the most important topics the board is addressing are flexibility and demand response. We’re expanding our DLMS architecture to include devices like energy management systems, charging stations, flexible loads, and flexible generators, especially those connected to the distributed energy grid on the low-voltage part of the electricity grid. DLMS has traditionally focused on smart metering, standardizing object models, communication, and interoperability, but now we are also setting rules to align our architecture with the broader energy management landscape. We are trying to help Energy industry to standardize this evolving segment and ensure that devices from different vendors are interoperable, following standards and developed protocols.

At the recent Enlit event, we announced the new DLMS ACESM GCP profile—our latest development, which is our new generic protocol for AC electricity metering. Regarding the plans of DLMS, I can say that this new ACESM generic companion profile already includes the prepaid solution that is suitable for Africa as well. We developed this together with AFSEC, with a big contribution of Shawn Papi, and in this sense, our generic companion profile is ready to cover the African needs.

Additionally, it’s important to mention that the new profiles (electricity, water, heat/gas, EV charging) will also cover specific needs from other regions. For instance, in North America, we’re working together with EPRI in a special EPRI – DLMS task force, where they are identifying additional features needed in our current profile to ensure interoperability in North America. We aim to do the same for Africa, but so far, the prepaid component, which is essential for Africa, is already included in the new profile.

Based on your experience what is the status of smart metering deployment across African distribution companies and which countries are leading in this space?

If we look at the African markets, we see some distinct patterns in smart metering deployment, especially in the use of prepaid meters. Two main types of prepaid metering systems are prevalent. Across much of Africa, the STS (Standard Transfer Specification) concept dominates, where users enter codes on a keypad to load credit from a vending machine. In Egypt, however, a smart card prepaid approach is used. Here, a card similar to a bank card is loaded with credit at a vending machine and then used to recharge the meter.

Egypt has already begun transitioning from standalone STS and prepaid meters to connected smart prepaid meters, where meters are equipped with integrated connectivity. The Egyptian government has introduced a mandatory secure communication module for SyShield, which ensures robust cybersecurity for these systems. This module connects prepaid meters for real-time grid monitoring and visibility, setting the foundation for enhanced grid flexibility and demand response capabilities over time.

Similarly, across the rest of Africa, we see STS meters transforming into smart meters with added connectivity. Many regions are incorporating 4G LTE to integrate these meters into head-end systems, improving grid visibility and control over distributed metering points. This shift from standalone to connected smart meters provides a stronger base for advanced applications as connectivity expands, enhancing both grid management and operational efficiency across the continent.

I would say the northern part of Africa shows a mix of everything. There are still quite a few of the traditional standalone meters, not even prepaid in some cases, like in Morocco. But the number of such meters is declining quickly year after year, while prepaid meters are on the rise.

For instance, Egypt has two main segments for who buys and installs the meters. On one side, there’s the governmental sector with its own rules; now, recently requiring the new SyShield cybersecurity communication module as a mandatory feature. This means that all meters going forward will be connected and controlled by the government. On the other side, we have the private-public sector, where projects tend to be smaller. Here, it depends on the property owner—whether they deploy smart meters with a head-end system to report aggregated consumption to the state grid or simply install prepaid meters. Although there are basic guidelines from the government, it’s slightly more flexible. However, recent developments indicate that both approaches are being streamlined into one unified specification, which I believe will eventually apply to all meter installations.

In the rest of Africa, it’s essential to recognize the diversity in development levels across countries. Some countries that are more financially robust, possibly due to natural resources, are further ahead—either still using standalone meters, moving toward prepaid, or considering connected prepaid meters. For example, Zambia is running pilot projects to install charging stations, which require smart meters to monitor consumption and grid availability. On the other hand, in countries without a stable electricity grid, a lot of energy is still generated locally through diesel aggregators, leading to isolated projects with a smaller amount of meters tracking generation and consumption. These setups operate like closed islands, unconnected to a larger grid, so there’s less need for sophisticated meters beyond the standalone type.

Can you share any experience of successful pilot programs for smart metering in Africa and what role does collaboration with international partners play in executing these rollouts?

Based on my experience, I would say that the general smart metering concept from Europe is a good fit for Africa. While the Netherlands may not be the best example—since they don’t use the disconnection switch function, a feature essential to prepaid meters—we can certainly look to the rest of Europe as a model. This approach could be effectively adapted to the African context.

It’s also worth noting that in Europe, there are multiple levels of smart meters. Up to now, we’ve primarily discussed residential smart meters, but Africa also uses small commercial and industrial meters. These industrial meters don’t function as prepaid; rather, they connect to a head-end system, often smaller, which manages industrial sites or medium-voltage transformer stations. In this respect, Africa isn’t much different from Europe.

When it comes to commercial and industrial meters, I can’t speak for the majority, but what companies like Iskraemeco are selling are all smart meters. These meters come equipped with the capability to communicate with the system. Sometimes, utilities purchase smart meters upfront, even if the head-end system or network infrastructure isn’t fully in place yet, with the expectation that the meters will eventually be connected. This approach is common, and most utilities seems to operate with the assumption that all industrial meters will, sooner or later, be connected and managed through a centralized head-end system.

Conclusions:

DLMS is expanding its smart metering standards to include flexible energy services, integrating systems like charging stations with functions for balancing electricity distribution grids. The new ACESM profile, tailored for African markets, addresses prepaid needs, while remaining adaptable to regional variations, such as North America.

Egypt is upgrading from prepaid to connected smart prepaid meters with integrated cybersecurity, while other regions are gradually adopting 4G LTE-connected smart meters. Wealthier areas advance faster, while less developed regions still rely on standalone meters for local power setups.

European smart metering model, adapted with prepaid needs, provide a framework for Africa, where collaboration with European companies is very helpful. Many African utilities now deploy smart meters in anticipation of future integration into centralized networks, even without immediate infrastructure.

Question for the audience:

What impact do you think connected smart meters could have on energy access and affordability in African communities?