Terra Firma

What Terra Firma does

Terra Firma is a South Africa-based commercial and industrial (C&I) clean energy company founded in 2012, headquartered in Johannesburg with a regional office in Cape Town. The company designs, finances, builds, owns and operates solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage system (BESS) projects for large energy users in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a portfolio of 550+ completed projects, 350+ MW of installed solar PV, 30+ MWh of installed BESS and 65+ MW under long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). Projects are delivered under two primary commercial structures: Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) turnkey contracts where the client funds and owns the asset, and PPAs where Terra Firma finances, builds, owns and operates the system and sells electricity to the client at an agreed per-kWh rate. The company serves enterprise customers across telecoms (MTN), chemicals (NCP Chlorchem), retail property (multiple shopping mall REITs), automotive manufacturing (Maxion Wheels), financial services (Discovery), cold storage and logistics (Vector, Pre-Cool), food and beverage (Gayatri, Country Bird, Nestle), and agriculture (Umhlatuzi Valley Sugar, TPZ). Project experience extends beyond South Africa into Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Ghana and Malawi.

The company's core technology integrates solar PV, battery storage, generators and grid supply into intelligent Energy Management Systems tailored to complex brownfield C&I environments, supported by the proprietary COPPER real-time electricity management platform that monitors performance, consumption and uptime across 5,000+ managed meters. Revenue is generated through a mix of one-time EPC contract recognition, multi-year recurring PPA revenue streams, and ongoing Operations & Maintenance (O&M) and smart metering services under long-duration contracts aligned to 20-25 year asset lives. Terra Firma is privately held and backed by two institutional shareholders: Reunert Limited, a JSE-listed industrial group established in 1888, and A.P. Møller Capital, the manager of the Africa Infrastructure Fund I. The company sells exclusively through direct enterprise field sales, with no reseller or distributor channels, and supports its commercial motion through thought-leadership content (blog, CEO op-eds in Engineering News and Business Report) and a consultative sales cycle targeting major businesses, property funds, mines, manufacturers, retailers and agricultural operations.

Name

Terra Firma

Legal name

Terra Firma

Website

https://terrafirma.africa

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Terra Firma is a South African clean energy company that designs, finances, builds and operates commercial and industrial solar PV and battery storage projects across Sub-Saharan Africa, serving enterprise customers in telecoms, manufacturing, retail property, mining, logistics, agriculture and chemicals through EPC, PPA and O&M models.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial & Industrial Solar Energy Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

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), Civil & Site Works EPC (Earthworks, Roads, Drainage, Foundations) (EUAEADAA)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Solar EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction): Turnkey EPC contracts where Terra Firma designs, procures and constructs solar PV systems for clients who fund and own the assets. Revenue is recognised upon project completion and commissioning. This model delivers the lowest long-term cost per kWh for clients with capital to invest.
2. Power Purchase Agreement (PPA): Terra Firma designs, builds, owns and operates solar and battery systems under long-term PPA contracts. Clients pay for electricity generated at an agreed rate with no upfront capital investment. Terra Firma retains asset ownership and earns recurring revenue over the contract term. Battery storage PPA is also available as a standalone product.
3. Operations & Maintenance (O&M): Ongoing O&M services for commissioned solar PV and BESS systems, including routine cleaning, inspections, preventative maintenance and performance monitoring through the COPPER platform. Revenue is recurring over the asset lifetime.
4. Smart Metering & Utilities Management: Advanced metering and utilities management services through the COPPER platform, providing real-time energy visibility and billing verification. Services support cost optimisation and tariff management for commercial and industrial customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Terra Firma engineers, finances, builds, owns and operates commercial and industrial solar PV and battery energy storage systems (1–50 MW typical project size) for large energy users in Sub-Saharan Africa. Projects are delivered through either EPC (client-funded, turnkey ownership) or PPA (zero-upfront, Terra Firma-owned with per-kWh subscription) structures, supported by long-term O&M services and the proprietary COPPER real-time energy management platform for metering, monitoring and optimization.

Product overview

Terra Firma offers a portfolio of clean energy solutions for commercial and industrial businesses in Southern Africa. The core offering centers on Solar PV & Storage systems delivered through EPC and PPA models, complemented by Operations & Maintenance services, Smart Metering & Utilities Management via the proprietary COPPER platform, ESG & Sustainability Consulting, and Energy Wheeling Solutions. The COPPER platform serves as the central monitoring and management interface across their solar and battery installations, while their service offerings range from project development and financing (through PPAs) to long-term operational support and sustainability advisory services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• COPPER: Proprietary smart electricity management platform providing real-time visibility of power usage and system uptime
• Terra Firma Solutions

Products and services

• Solar PV & Storage Engineering, procurement, construction, financing and operation of commercial and industrial solar PV and battery energy storage systems (typically 1–50 MW, rooftop and ground-mounted), delivered as either EPC (client funds and owns the asset) or PPA (Terra Firma finances, builds, owns and operates; client pays per kWh). For large commercial and industrial businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Ongoing operations and maintenance services for commissioned solar PV and BESS systems, including routine cleaning, inspections, preventative maintenance and continuous performance monitoring via the COPPER platform. Recurring service for clients with solar and battery assets across their full operating life.
• Smart Metering & Utilities Management Advanced smart metering and utilities management services giving commercial and industrial customers real-time visibility and control over energy consumption to unlock operational efficiencies, billing verification, tariff management and cost savings. Deployed across 5,000+ meters via the COPPER platform.
• ESG & Sustainability Consulting Services Integrated sustainability and ESG advisory services including carbon measurement, sustainability reporting and disclosure, carbon credits trading, and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) management. For commercial and industrial customers needing to meet decarbonisation and carbon reporting obligations.
• Energy Wheeling Solutions Off-site renewable energy generation solutions enabling businesses to generate energy at sites with strong solar resources and use that energy elsewhere on the grid through national and municipal networks. For commercial and industrial energy users that want renewable supply but lack suitable on-site generation capacity.
• Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Standalone battery energy storage solutions for backup power, peak demand management and energy arbitrage, available as a BESS-only deployment or bundled with solar PV. For commercial and industrial customers seeking energy resilience, peak shaving and arbitrage savings of 10–30% with 3–5 year payback periods.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,000+ tonnes CO2 avoided annually (MTN microgrid project)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Cicada SolarminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCicada Solar is a developer for which Terra Firma acted as EPC contractor on the TPZ project in Zimbabwe (3.6 MWp solar PV and 3.8 MWh BESS). Cicada Solar developed and structured the project; Terra Firma handled engineering, procurement and construction.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/terra-firma-solutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Terra Firma