Sustainable Power Solutions

What Sustainable Power Solutions does

Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS) is a South African-headquartered, privately held asset manager and integrated solar PV / battery energy storage developer founded in 2008 to fund, engineer, construct, operate, and maintain renewable energy systems for commercial and industrial clients across Sub-Saharan Africa. It operates as a portfolio company of Gridworks (British International Investment, the UK's DFI) alongside Airnergize Capital (seeded by New GX Capital and RMB Ventures), and is 40% black-owned.

SPS's core technology stack spans ground-mounted and roof-mounted solar PV, solar trackers, lithium-ion and lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery energy storage systems (BESS), diesel hybrid generators for off-grid configurations, and remote solar plants that wheel energy via national grid infrastructure (e.g., the NamPower MSB programme). It delivers turnkey in-house Engineering, Procurement & Construction plus long-term O&M and asset management with performance guarantees backed by shareholders, supported by connected-sensor monitoring and preventive/predictive maintenance workflows.

SPS monetizes primarily through 10-20 year Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and equipment leases for fully-funded, zero-upfront-capex systems, complemented by co-investment / developer joint ventures and a recently launched Buyout Model. Its go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales to C&I customers in mining, agriculture, tourism, and commercial real estate, channeled through EPC and developer partnerships, with operating offices in Stellenbosch, Nairobi, Windhoek, and Dar es Salaam and the largest private-investor footprint in the Seychelles.

Name

Sustainable Power Solutions

Legal name

Sustainable Power Solutions

Website

https://sps.africa

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sustainable Power Solutions is a South African-headquartered, DFI-backed developer and asset manager that funds, builds, operates, and maintains commercial and industrial solar PV and battery storage projects across Sub-Saharan Africa via long-term PPAs and equipment leases.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial & Industrial Solar Energy Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Generation (22111), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar PV Power Plant EPC (Utility-Scale) (EUAEAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Utility-Scale Power Generation Asset Management (EUAEAMAA), Construction Management & General Contracting (EPCM, Scheduling, QA/QC, HSE) (EUAMAFAJ), Solar Balance-of-Plant EPC (Piles/Foundations, Trenching, Combiner Networks) (EUAEADAJ)

Keywords

• Commercial solar PV
• Battery energy storage
• Power purchase agreements
• Renewable energy solutions
• Solar EPC services

Headquarters

HQ city

Stellenbosch

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs): SPS funds, designs, installs, and operates solar PV and/or battery systems at client sites. Clients pay only for electricity consumed at a rate lower than grid tariffs, typically over 10–20 year contract terms. This is the primary revenue model and core to the fully-funded solution proposition. Clients benefit from zero upfront capex while SPS recoups investment through ongoing electricity payments.
2. Equipment Lease: Clients pay a fixed monthly rental fee for installed solar and/or battery assets, rather than per kWh consumed. Provides cost certainty for the client while delivering recurring revenue to SPS. Includes O&M and asset management services bundled into the monthly fee.
3. Buyout Model (Asset Acquisition): SPS purchases clients' existing solar and battery systems at fair market value, reimbursing them for the full installation cost. Clients then enter a new 10–20 year PPA with SPS. This unlocks capital for clients while allowing SPS to grow its asset base under management.
4. EPC Services (Developer Partnerships & JVs): SPS provides engineering, procurement, and construction services to solar developers and co-investors, earning fees for project delivery. Also structured as developer joint ventures and developer partnerships where SPS contributes technical expertise alongside funding.
5. Wheeling / IPP Energy Sales: SPS develops and owns remote solar plants (e.g., Maxwell Solar Plant, Slimsun Too) and sells electricity via wheeling arrangements through national grids to large industrial off-takers, generating revenue from energy sales under PPAs with corporate clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sustainable Power Solutions funds, designs, installs, operates, and maintains commercial and industrial solar PV and battery energy storage systems across Sub-Saharan Africa under fully-funded Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and equipment lease models. The company delivers turnkey in-house Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services, long-term Operations and Maintenance (O&M), and asset management with performance guarantees. Offerings span off-grid, grid-tied, and wheeling configurations for clients in mining, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, commercial property, and retail.

Product overview

SPS offers a comprehensive suite of solar PV and battery energy storage solutions for commercial and industrial businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa. The core offering combines fully-funded solar solutions (via PPA or equipment lease models) with turnkey EPC services and ongoing O&M/asset management. Key product types include Off-Grid, Grid-Tied, and Wheeling Solar PV systems, complemented by Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) for backup power, peak demand management, and tariff arbitrage. Service models span Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), Equipment Leases, Developer Joint Ventures, and a recently launched Buyout Model enabling businesses to unlock capital from existing solar assets. The company operates across multiple industries including commercial, industrial, agricultural, and tourism sectors with offices in South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fully-Funded Solar Solutions

Quantifiable outcome

• 800,000+ tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided across installed portfolio
• +11 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, supporting, core and minor.

• B2Gold NamibiaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2025B2Gold Namibia partnered with SPS to commission Namibia's first solar wheeling project (Maxwell Solar Plant, 10 MW) under NamPower's Modified Single Buyer (MSB) programme. B2Gold is Namibia's largest gold producer and a long-term energy transition partner. SPS developed and funded the plant; B2Gold is the offtaker. The project aligns with B2Gold's climate strategy to achieve 30% GHG reduction by 2030 and net-zero at Otjikoto mine.
• Oelofse Family (Maxwell Farm)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2025The Oelofse family, owners of Maxwell Farm near Otjiwarongo, Namibia, are co-investors in the Maxwell Solar Plant. They contributed land and a conservation-driven philosophy to the project, aligning clean energy with environmental stewardship. Their co-investment enabled the project to proceed alongside SPS and B2Gold.
• FortitudesupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 30 September 2025Fortitude played a critical advisory role as property developer for the Maxwell Solar Plant project, introducing SPS to both B2Gold and the Oelofse family, coordinating stakeholder engagement, and providing strategic guidance throughout every stage — from initial concept and feasibility studies through to final execution and commissioning.
• Energy Exchange (Remgro / RMB)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 July 2024Energy Exchange is an energy trading company jointly owned by Remgro and RMB. SPS signed a PPA with Energy Exchange for offtake of energy generated by the Slimsun Too Malmesbury solar plants. Energy Exchange acts as an intermediary, aggregating SPS's solar generation to sell to its end-use customers, creating a channel for SPS's IPP energy output.
• Anthony Corin / Franco Afrique TechnologiessupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2024Anthony Corin of Franco Afrique Technologies is a pioneering force in South Africa's renewable energy sector. He owns the land on which the Slimsun Too Malmesbury solar projects (two 5 MW plants) are constructed, and was the original developer of the projects. SPS acquired 100% of Slimsun Too (Pty) Ltd, which holds the development rights.
• NamPowercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNamPower is Namibia's state-owned power utility and operator of the Modified Single Buyer (MSB) programme. SPS worked closely with NamPower and the Electricity Control Board (ECB) to shape the wheeling framework that enabled Namibia's first solar wheeling project. NamPower's MSB programme allows private IPPs to sell electricity directly to large customers using the national grid.
• Islands Development Company (IDC) – SeychellescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDC is responsible for the sustainable development of outer islands in the Seychelles and manages 14 islands. SPS has partnered with IDC to install solar farms across multiple islands (Alphonse, Astove, Farquhar, Desroches), with the goal of running all IDC-managed islands on 100% renewable energy. SPS is the largest private investor in the Seychelles energy sector.
• EPC ContractorssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSPS partners with EPC (Engineering, Procurement & Construction) companies that bring project delivery capabilities. SPS offers funding-partner arrangements where the EPC contractor handles construction and SPS provides funding and long-term O&M. If clients prefer their own EPC contractor, SPS can provide advisory inputs with oversight as an augmented service to its fully-funded solution.
• Solar DeveloperssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPS partners with independent solar developers across Africa, contributing proven engineering expertise in addition to flexible funding. Developer JVs and developer partnerships are formal engagement models offered by SPS, allowing developers to leverage SPS's capital and O&M capabilities while bringing local relationships and project pipelines.
• Clinton FoundationminorOthersThe Clinton Foundation is credited for photography of IDC solar projects in the Seychelles. Not a commercial partnership — photo attribution only.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Mainstream Renewable Power: Ireland-headquartered renewable energy developer with significant wind and solar pipeline across sub-Saharan Africa (South Africa, Senegal, Chile). Comparable as a multi-country African renewables developer competing for utility-scale and corporate offtake opportunities.
• SolarArise: India-based C&I solar EPC and developer operating an asset-light funded solar model. Comparable in that it uses a hybrid EPC + funded/asset management structure to serve industrial and commercial customers, although operating geography differs.

Broad incumbents

• Scatec ASA: Norwegian-listed renewable energy developer and IPP with significant operations across sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable as a large-scale solar IPP with DFI-style investor base and presence in South Africa and other African markets.
• ENGIE Africa: African arm of global utility ENGIE, active in renewable power generation, IPP development and energy services across the continent. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for utility-scale and C&I renewable opportunities.
• Globeleq: Pan-African power company that develops, owns and operates renewable and thermal generation assets across the continent. Comparable as a pan-African IPP/operator, though typically at utility scale rather than C&I embedded generation.
• EDF Renewables Africa: Subsidiary of EDF Renewables developing and operating utility-scale solar and wind projects across Africa. Comparable as a multinational IPP with funding capacity and Africa presence competing for the same project pipelines.

Direct peers

• SolarAfrica: South Africa-based C&I solar PPA provider offering fully-funded solar and battery solutions to commercial and industrial clients. Direct competitor with the same zero-upfront-capex PPA model, enterprise sales motion, and Sub-Saharan focus.
• Pele Energy Group: South Africa-based renewable energy developer and IPP serving the mining and C&I segments. Comparable as a regional fully-funded solar/IPP player targeting similar mining and industrial offtakers in Southern Africa.
• Distributed Energy: South African C&I solar and storage company (formerly Kilpatrick) providing fully-funded renewable energy solutions to commercial and industrial customers with PPA structures — directly comparable offering, target market and GTM to SPS.

Regional players

• juwi Renewable Energies: German-headquartered renewables EPC and developer with a strong South Africa presence, focused on utility-scale and C&I solar. Comparable in technology and EPC capabilities but with a broader geographic and project scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/spsafrica
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SustainablePowerSolutions_SPS
• Facebookfacebook.com/sustainablepowersolutions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainable-power-solutions
• TikToktiktok.com/@sps_africa?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Sustainable Power Solutions