What ACES does

ACES Africa (Pty) Ltd is a South African renewable energy engineering company headquartered in Somerset West, Western Cape, with a regional office in Pretoria, Gauteng. Founded in 2003 as Webgear (rebranded to ACES in 2015) and privately held under the ownership of the founding Gous family, the company delivers turnkey solar photovoltaic (PV), battery energy storage (BESS), building-integrated photovoltaics (BiPV), and grid integration solutions for commercial, industrial, and utility-scale clients. Operations span seven African countries — South Africa, Nigeria, Namibia, Rwanda, Kenya, Mozambique, and Angola — with a cumulative track record of 380+ projects, 140+ MWp of installed PV capacity, and 50+ MWh of deployed battery storage. The company is led by Charl Gous (CEO and Group Chairman), Anré Gustav Gous (Group Managing Director), Imar Gous (Group Director), and Stefan Venter (Group CFO).

ACES operates an integrated group structure comprising four units: the core EPC business (engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning), ACES Asset Management (operations and maintenance including 24/7 CMS monitoring, preventative and corrective maintenance, drone thermography, and IV curve diagnostics), ACES Capital (PPA-backed and asset-financed project funding), and ACES Academy (QCTO-accredited Solar Photovoltaic Service Technician training at NQF Level 05). Revenue is generated primarily through one-time EPC project contracts, supplemented by recurring managed-services revenue from O&M contracts, professional services revenue from specialized testing, and finance-related income from ACES Capital. The company sells exclusively through direct enterprise field sales and is differentiated by its strategic partnership with Onyx Solar for BiPV products, including the delivery of Africa's largest BiPV skylight (3,000 m² at I&M Bank Nairobi). Notable customers include Mediclinic, Microsoft Kenya, I&M Bank, Cummins, SolarAfrica, Pick n Pay, Yanfeng, Extrupet, FoodLovers, and NEC. ACES holds PV Greencard accreditation across its branches and has been recognized with the 2023 Best Construction Team of the Year (Solaris), 2024 Energy Storage Project of the Year (FGC), 2024 EPC Partner of the Year (Huawei), 2024 Solar EPC Company of the Year — C&I, and the FT/FGC 35th Fastest Growing Company in Africa 2024 ranking.

Name

ACES

Legal name

ACES Africa (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://acesafrica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ACES Africa is a South African solar EPC and energy storage company delivering turnkey photovoltaic, battery storage, and building-integrated solar solutions across seven African countries for commercial, industrial, and utility clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar EPC and Renewable Energy Engineering Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Engineering Services (54133), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613)

akta.pro primary industry

Electrical Balance-of-Plant EPC (MV Collection, Cabling, Earthing, Lighting) (EUAEADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solar Balance-of-Plant EPC (Piles/Foundations, Trenching, Combiner Networks) (EUAEADAJ), Commercial & Industrial (C&I) BESS EPC & Integration (EUAEAEAB)

Keywords

• Solar EPC services
• Battery energy storage
• Building integrated photovoltaics
• Renewable energy engineering
• Operations and maintenance

Headquarters

HQ city

Somerset West

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) Services: Turnkey solar PV, BESS, and BiPV project delivery from feasibility studies through commissioning. Covers the entire project lifecycle including design, procurement, construction, and grid integration.
2. Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Services: Comprehensive asset management services including performance management, preventative maintenance, corrective maintenance, warranty management, and 24/7 monitoring for solar installations built by ACES or third parties.
3. Specialized Testing Services: On-site flash testing, EL testing, IV curve diagnostics, drone thermography, and cable fault locating services for solar assets.
4. ACES Capital Funding: Financing of PPA-backed and asset-financed renewable energy projects through the ACES Capital funding entity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ACES Africa is a renewable energy engineering company that delivers turnkey solar PV, Battery Energy Storage (BESS), Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BiPV), grid integration, and engineering solutions through an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) model for commercial, industrial, and utility clients across Africa. The integrated group also provides Operations and Maintenance services (ACES Asset Management), project financing through Power Purchase Agreements and asset-financed arrangements (ACES Capital), and QCTO-accredited workforce training (ACES Academy).

Product overview

ACES Africa operates as a comprehensive energy solutions provider with an integrated group structure. The core offering consists of Solar PV, BESS (Battery Energy Storage), Grid, BiPV (Building-Integrated Photovoltaics), and Engineering Solutions delivered through an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) model. Supporting this core are three subsidiary divisions: ACES Asset Management (providing O&M services including monitoring, maintenance, and performance optimization), ACES Capital (funding PPA and asset-financed renewable energy projects), and ACES Academy (QCTO-accredited training programmes for solar PV professionals). The company has installed over 140MWp of PV capacity and 50MWh of battery storage across seven African countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solar PV Solutions Comprehensive solar photovoltaic solutions for commercial, industrial, and utility-scale applications, providing clean, reliable, and cost-effective power generation delivered through an EPC model.
• BESS Solutions Battery Energy Storage Systems solutions providing comprehensive energy storage services including design, engineering, and optimization for performance, reliability, and sustainability.
• Grid Solutions Grid services aimed at enhancing reliability and efficiency of electrical grids, including grid connection, integration, and support for grid stability and energy flow optimization.
• BiPV Solutions Building-Integrated Photovoltaics solutions using Onyx Solar products, integrating advanced solar technology into building architecture including transparent solar glass, skylights, and facades.
• Engineering Solutions Solar and BESS engineering services including feasibility studies, comprehensive system design, and expert guidance for renewable energy projects.
• ACES Asset Management Operations and Maintenance (O&M) services for solar assets including performance management, preventative maintenance, online monitoring, performance ratio testing, module cleaning, inverter repairs, and drone thermography.
• ACES Capital Funding entity for ACES Africa and other EPC renewable energy initiatives, focused on financing Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and asset-financed projects.
• ACES Academy Solar Photovoltaic Centre for Excellence providing QCTO-accredited training programmes for employees and teams, with QCTO accreditation at NQF Level 05 for Solar Photovoltaic Service Technician.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140MWp+ of Solar PV installed capacity
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Onyx SolarcoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership for Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BiPV) products. Onyx Solar is a global leader in BiPV technology, providing innovative products including transparent solar glass, skylights, and facades. ACES specializes in designing and installing BiPV systems that boost energy efficiency and aesthetics using Onyx Solar products.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• SolarAfrica: South Africa-based C&I solar PV and storage EPC with a project finance arm; competes most directly with ACES on rooftop/commercial-scale deals in southern Africa and shares the same enterprise sales motion.
• Mulilo Renewable Energy: South African renewable energy developer/EPC with solar and storage focus and IPP structuring capabilities; an ACES-side comparable for utility-scale tenders and integrated project delivery in southern Africa.
• juwi Renewable Energies: German-headquartered renewable EPC with established southern Africa operations delivering utility-scale and C&I solar projects; competes for similar turnkey EPC mandates and O&M contracts on the continent.
• Solar Capital: South African renewable energy EPC and financier with C&I and utility exposure; competes on the same turnkey solar EPC + project financing value proposition that defines ACES.
• Distributed Energy: South African provider of integrated solar PV, BESS, and energy management solutions to C&I customers; a close functional peer on rooftop/commercial EPC and monitoring-based value propositions.

Broad incumbents

• Scatec ASA: Norwegian-listed renewable energy IPP/EPC with solar and storage assets across Africa; an overlap competitor for utility-scale tenders and asset-financed projects, but operates at much larger scale.
• ENGIE Africa: Global utility with a meaningful African renewables and distributed energy footprint; competes with ACES in C&I solar and BESS segments while also offering gas, cooling, and broader energy services outside ACES's scope.
• Globeleq: UK-based power developer focused exclusively on Africa with renewable IPP assets; larger-scale peer that competes for utility-scale and capacity-tender projects where ACES also bids.
• Enel Green Power: Global IPP with significant solar and storage EPC operations in Africa; competes for large-scale tenders but with a broader renewables portfolio (wind, hydro) outside ACES's specialization.

Others

• Onyx Solar: Global supplier of Building-Integrated Photovoltaic glass products that is ACES's strategic BiPV technology partner; adjacent rather than competitive, but a critical ecosystem node given how central BiPV is to ACES's differentiation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SwitchedonPodcast
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aces-africa
• Xx.com/aces_energy
• Facebookfacebook.com/acesafrica

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ACES