Solareff

What Solareff does

Solareff (Pty) Ltd is a South African specialist engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm that designs and delivers commercial- and industrial-scale Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems, Battery Energy Storage Solutions (BESS), and fully integrated microgrids. Founded in May 2010 by brothers Jaco Botha (CEO) and DeVilliers Botha (CCO), the company has commissioned more than 290MWp of capacity and 47MWh+ of battery storage across 650+ projects, and actively monitors 350+ sites under its long-term SolareffAssets programme. It is headquartered in Roodepoort, Gauteng, with a regional office in Cape Town, and serves four primary customer segments — Commercial & Industrial, Agricultural, Ground Mount & Mining, and Municipal/Government — using in-house engineering teams and proprietary solar-diesel hybrid integration, advanced energy management enabling tariff arbitrage under Eskom's Miniflex structure, and an in-house 24/7 monitoring platform.

Solareff operates a three-divisional platform: SolareffSolutions delivers engineered C&I rooftop, ground-mount and microgrid installations; SolareffAssets provides 24/7 monitoring, preventative maintenance, compliance and performance optimization across the 25-year design life of customer systems; and SolareffFinance, in partnership with funding providers, structures Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and rent-to-own financing that requires no upfront capex from the customer. Pricing is quote-based for direct purchases and subscription-based (typically monthly) under PPA and rent-to-own arrangements, with a target of customer cash savings relative to incumbent Eskom tariff exposure. Go-to-market is a direct enterprise field sales motion with localized regional coverage in Gauteng and the Western Cape, supported by segment-specific quote capture on the company website and amplified through industry events (Enlit Africa, SAPVIA, Solar & Storage Live Africa, RE+ South Africa, African Oil Week).

Recurring revenue is generated from long-tenor PPA electricity supply agreements and SolareffAssets monitoring/O&M contracts, while one-time EPC revenue comes from direct system purchases. Marquee installations include Eastgate Shopping Centre (7.216MWp, currently the largest registered rooftop in SA), Mall of Africa (the first fully compliant large-scale synchronized rooftop PV in the country), Clearwater Mall (first SA rooftop to break 1MWp) and Boardwalk Inkwazi (largest rooftop in Africa at installation), alongside the recently commissioned Hartenbos Waste Water Treatment Works hybrid microgrid for Mossel Bay Municipality. Solareff is privately held; STANLIB Infrastructure Fund II acquired a controlling stake in August 2023, which the founders and management team bought back in March 2026.

Name

Solareff

Legal name

Solareff (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://solareff.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Solareff is a South African EPC specialist founded in 2010 that designs and delivers commercial and industrial solar PV, battery energy storage, and microgrid solutions across C&I, agricultural, mining and municipal segments, with over 290MWp commissioned and long-term O&M and PPA revenue streams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Renewable Energy Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Generation (22111)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Operations, Maintenance & Asset Management (O&M, Vegetation, Spares, SCADA) (EUACAGAH), Solar Financing, Leasing & Ownership Platforms (Tax Equity, PPA, Securitization) (EUAMABAJ)

Keywords

• Solar PV systems
• Battery energy storage
• Commercial solar EPC
• Microgrid solutions
• Power purchase agreements

Headquarters

HQ city

Gauteng

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Power Purchase Agreement (PPA): Solareff installs a bespoke solar energy system on customer site, and the customer purchases the green electricity generated at a stable, low cost for the duration of the contract. No upfront capital expenditure required from customer.
2. Rent-to-Own Solutions: Alternative financing pathway allowing customers to take ownership of the solar system over time while benefiting from predictable monthly payments and reduced operational costs.
3. EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction): Turnkey solar PV solutions delivered by in-house engineering teams including design, procurement, construction, and commissioning of medium to large-scale rooftop and ground-mounted solar installations.
4. SolareffAssets - Asset Management Services: Comprehensive asset management services for solar PV portfolios including 24-hour monitoring, maintenance, compliance management, and performance optimization throughout the 25-year design life of systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Solareff designs, engineers, procures, constructs and commissions medium to large-scale solar PV systems, Battery Energy Storage Solutions (BESS) and integrated hybrid microgrids for commercial, industrial, agricultural, mining and municipal customers across South Africa. Through its SolareffAssets division it provides 24/7 monitoring and lifetime O&M, and through SolareffFinance it delivers Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and rent-to-own solutions requiring no upfront capital from customers.

Product overview

Solareff is a specialist South African-based renewable energy solutions company offering a platform-plus-services architecture. The core offering comprises SolareffSolutions (engineered Solar PV and Battery Energy Storage Solutions), complemented by SolareffAssets (comprehensive asset management and monitoring) and SolareffFinance (Power Purchase Agreement and rent-to-own financing). Primary products include Grid-Tied Solar PV systems, Grid-tied Solar with Battery Energy Storage (BESS), and fully integrated Microgrid Solutions. The company serves Commercial & Industrial, Agricultural, and Ground Mount & Mining segments with turnkey EPC capabilities including design, procurement, construction, and post-installation operations and maintenance. Notable flagship projects include the Hartenbos Waste Water Treatment Works Microgrid combining solar PV, battery storage, and diesel backup for municipal resilience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SolareffSolutions: Delivers engineered PV and Battery Energy Storage Solutions (BESS) optimized to meet clients' unique energy consumption needs.
• SolareffAssets
• SolareffFinance

Products and services

• SolareffSolutions (Engineered Solar PV and BESS) Core engineering solutions division delivering turnkey engineered Solar Photovoltaic (PV) and Battery Energy Storage Solutions (BESS), including in-house design, procurement, construction and commissioning for medium to large-scale rooftop and ground-mounted installations.
• Grid-Tied Solar PV Systems Engineered grid-tied solar PV systems operating in parallel with grid connections to reduce daytime electricity consumption, delivering significant cost savings for commercial, industrial, agricultural and municipal customers.
• Grid-Tied Solar with Battery Energy Storage (BESS) Integrated solar PV plus battery storage solutions providing off-grid, UPS/backup, capacity storage, energy arbitrage and peak shaving capabilities for customers needing risk avoidance and resilience against load shedding.
• Integrated Microgrid Solutions Fully integrated microgrids combining solar PV, battery storage, optional diesel backup and advanced energy management systems for resilient, sustainable generation, including 11kV switchgear and automated source switching for critical municipal infrastructure.
• Ground Mount and Mining Solutions Engineered ground-mount solar PV structures for larger installations or sites without adequate roof space, including carport structures providing shaded parking and tailored solutions for mining operations.
• Commercial and Industrial Solar Solutions Solar PV and battery storage solutions tailored for medium to large commercial and industrial facilities, maximizing the value of unused rooftop space and reducing operating costs through engineered systems.
• Agricultural Solar Solutions Solar PV solutions designed for sustainable agricultural operations including farms, wine estates and food production facilities, reducing energy costs for irrigation, refrigeration and processing while preserving the surrounding natural environment.
• SolareffAssets Asset Management Services Comprehensive asset management services including 24-hour monitoring, online performance tracking, fault detection, preventative maintenance, physical system checks, module cleaning, compliance management and detailed monthly financial reporting throughout the system's 25-year design life.
• Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Post-installation O&M services including online monitoring, fault detection, preventative maintenance, physical system inspections and module cleaning for solar PV systems.
• SolareffFinance PPA and Rent-to-Own Solutions Renewable energy financing solutions offering stable, lower-cost green electricity through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) where customers pay monthly for electricity generated, or rent-to-own solutions where customers gradually take ownership of the system over time.

Quantifiable outcome

• Eastgate Shopping Centre: 7.216MWp system generates 35% of mall's daily load requirements
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Mossel Bay MunicipalityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 November 2025Mossel Bay Municipality partnered with Solareff as EPC contractor and Element Consulting Engineers to deliver the Hartenbos Waste Water Treatment Works microgrid, a groundbreaking hybrid solar PV and battery storage system for critical municipal infrastructure resilience.
• Element Consulting EngineerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerElement Consulting Engineers collaborated with Solareff on the Mossel Bay Municipality microgrid project as consulting engineers for the Hartenbos Waste Water Treatment Works solar PV plant.
• Imbue SustainabilitycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImbue Sustainability collaborated with Solareff on the Improvon Meadowview Rhenus Logistics project, assisting in achieving sustainability goals.
• FUCHS LUBRICANTS South AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolareff partnered with FUCHS LUBRICANTS South Africa on a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) solution to help achieve net zero targets, increasing renewable energy usage from 11% to 30%.
• AtterburycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolareff has worked with Atterbury Property on multiple projects including the Turbine Hall project and Boardwalk Inkwazi shopping centre.
• HuaweicoreTechnology or IntegrationHuawei recognized Solareff as a Global Elite Installer at their 4th Global Installer Summit, highlighting excellence in solar installation and energy innovation.
• AttacqcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolareff worked with Attacq on the landmark Mall of Africa solar PV project, successfully navigating NERSA and Eskom regulatory processes for the largest rooftop solar installation in the Southern Hemisphere.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Huawei Digital Power: Global provider of smart PV inverters, BESS and energy management solutions — recognized Solareff as a Global Elite Installer; serves as a key upstream technology supplier to Solareff rather than a horizontal competitor.
• LONGi Green Energy: Largest global solar module manufacturer; partnered with Solareff as Top EPC recipient — adjacent ecosystem participant and supplier-relationship counterparty rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Enel Green Power: Global IPP and EPC arm of Enel with utility-scale solar PV and storage operations across multiple continents including Africa — broader incumbent offering comparable technology but at vastly larger scale and with diversified portfolio.

Direct peers

• SolarAfrica: Pan-African (with strong SA base) commercial solar developer providing turnkey PV and storage with proprietary financing solutions including PPAs — competes head-to-head for the same C&I customer base.
• SolarCapital: South African commercial and industrial solar PPA provider offering zero-capex solar and storage solutions to industrial customers — directly competes in the same niche with a finance-led business model.
• Pele Energy Group: South African commercial & industrial solar EPC and energy services company offering turnkey PV, BESS, and PPA financing to South African enterprises — directly comparable in target market, project mix, and PPA-led business model.
• Sun Exchange: South Africa-headquartered solar financing platform focused on crowd-sourced solar ownership and PPAs for C&I and institutional customers — highly comparable business model, though operating at somewhat smaller project scale.

Regional players

• Mainstream Renewable Power: Global renewable developer with major South African and broader African utility-scale wind and solar projects — comparable in energy asset development and IPP business model, but typically at larger utility scale outside Solareff's C&I core.
• JUWI Renewable Energies: Global EPC and developer of utility-scale solar with established South African operations — provides comparable turnkey EPC services and competes for ground-mount and large C&I projects.
• Scatec ASA: Norwegian-listed renewable energy developer with significant operations across Southern Africa delivering utility-scale solar PV and storage — comparable in technology and asset-management model, scaled to larger projects from a different home geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/solareff
• Facebookfacebook.com/Solareff
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solareff

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Solareff