Best Solar Energy Companies in South Africa
The 105 best Solar Energy companies in South Africa in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: SolarAfrica.
South Africa's Solar Energy sector has 105 companies on our radar, and the $262M in total disclosed funding tells only part of the story. SolarAfrica leads by a wide margin at $107M, with Sustainable Power Solutions at $40M and Pele Energy Group at $31M rounding out the top tier. So if you're trying to map where capital is actually concentrating, those three names are where you start. Backers like AIIM, Inspired Evolution, and 4DX Ventures are the recurring faces, and the absence of a unicorn yet signals a market still in its scaling phase rather than its maturity.
The global tailwind is real. Solar energy is tracking toward a ~$223.3B market by 2026 at a 20.5% CAGR, driven by decarbonization pressure and shifting government policy. Median app installs across energy platforms are up roughly 28% YoY, and hot themes like solar PV and EV energy management are pulling coverage with them. Globally, fresh Series A rounds are still closing fast, and I'd expect South Africa's funding pace to follow suit as load-shedding pressures keep demand urgent.
- Future of Solar Energy Brighter Than Sun: Rapid Innovations Pave the W
- California is curtailing more solar power than ever before
Our analysis of 100 Solar Energy companies
$30.5b in tracked funding; 83% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
Ranked: Best Solar Energy companies in South Africa
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Stage | Founder | Founded | Tech stack | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SolarAfrica Provider of financial services for solar PV systems | $107M | 5 mo ago | Series B | James Irons Co-Founder | 2011 | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+41 | — |
| 2 | Sustainable Power Solutions Commercial and insustrial solar EPC and O&M service provider | $40M | 57 mo ago | Series C | Axel Scholle Co-Founder | 2006 | WordPressMySQLPHP+23 | 2 awards |
| 3 | Pele Energy Group Developer of renewable energy projects and community socio-economic development initiatives | $31M | 15 mo ago | Series C | Thapelo Motlogeloa Co-Founder | 2009 | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+16 | — |
| 4 | groSolar Solar Distribution and Installation | $29M | 185 mo ago | Acquired | — | 1998 | — | — |
| 5 | SOLA Renewable energy company specializing in solar PV installation and providing global employment solutions for… | $26M | 82 mo ago | Series B | Dom Wills Co-Founder | 2008 | WordPressMySQLPHP+32 | — |
| 6 | Sun Exchange Developer of solar energy projects | $15M | 56 mo ago | Series A | Saul Wainwright CEO | 2015 | WordPress Block EditorDiviWordPress+27 | — |
| 7 | Hohm Energy Provider of renewable energy producer and solar installation & services | $8M | 27 mo ago | Seed | Tim Ohlsen CEO | 2013 | — | — |
| 8 | Grid Africa Provider of custom solar energy solutions for commercial and industrial clients | $3M | 19 mo ago | Seed | Nigel Mangwiro Co-Founder & CFO | 2015 | — | — |
| 9 | SolarWorks Manufacturer of pay-as-you-go solar energy products | $2M | 89 mo ago | Series A | Bernard Hulshof Co-Founder | 2007 | — | — |
| 10 | iG3N Provider of solar panel installation services for residential and commercial | $1M | 58 mo ago | Seed | — | 2018 | — | — |
Top 12 Solar Energy companies in South Africa
#1
Series B · Centurion, Gauteng · founded 2011 · 76 employees$106.8Mraised▾
SolarAfrica provides solar PV systems on a rent-to-own basis for residential and commercial units. Partners with solar installers who install and operate systems which the company owns, manages and finances. Operates in places like Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Namibia and others.
- Jan 2026Conventional Debt$91.8M
- Sep 2024Series B$15M
#2
Series C · Johannesburg, Gauteng · founded 2009$31Mraised▾
Developer of renewable energy projects and community socio-economic development initiatives. The organization focuses on power generation and sustainable development through its linked entities. These entities work together to enhance energy infrastructure with education, skills development, and community investments. The organization aims to drive structural change and foster long-term socio-economic progress.
- Mar 2025Series C$31M
#3
Seed · Johannesburg, Gauteng · founded 2015$2.8Mraised▾
Grid Africa is a provider of custom business solar solutions in South Africa, offering tailored solar energy systems and financing options to support commercial and industrial clients. The company is focused on delivering bespoke solar projects across the country, with a goal of reducing carbon footprint and promoting sustainable energy practices. Grid Africa has secured significant equity investments and has a proven track record of developing and financing successful solar energy projects. The company's solutions aim to address the energy needs of businesses across various sectors, including industrial, commercial, and retail.
- Oct 2024Seed$2.8M
#4
Seed · Sandton, Gauteng · founded 2013 · 101 employees$8Mraised▾
Provider of renewable energy producer and solar installation & services
- Feb 2024Seed$8M
#5
Series C · Somerset West, Western Cape · founded 2006 · 32 employees$40Mraised▾
Sustainable Power Solutions is an African solar EPC and O&M provider for businesses and the agricultural sector. Developed projects in Kenya, Island States, South Africa and Namibia. Claims to have developed over 100 solar power projects having an aggregate power capacity of 30MWp. Also provides battery storage solutions.
- Aug 2021Series C$40M
#6
Series A · Muizenberg, Province Of The Western Cape · founded 2015$14.8Mraised▾
Sun Exchange is a South African-based company that develops and operates solar power and energy storage solutions for midsize organizations. The company uses a peer-to-peer leasing platform to connect solar panel owners with organizations seeking renewable energy, enabling them to reduce energy costs and carbon footprint. With a focus on sustainability and energy efficiency, Sun Exchange has deployed and operates one of the largest fleets of commercial solar and energy storage projects in South Africa.
- Sep 2021Series A$2.5M
- Apr 2021Series A$1.4M
- 2020Series A$4M
- Jun 2020Series A$3.7M
#7
Series B · Cape Town, Western Cape · founded 2008$26.2Mraised▾
SOLA is an energy company based in South Africa that specializes in solar PV installation. They offer renewable energy solutions and have expertise in executive search and global employment for tech teams. SOLA focuses on providing affordable and clean energy for Africa's future.
- Aug 2019Series B$26.2M
#8
Acquired · White River, Mpumalanga · founded 1998 · 68 employees$28.6Mraised▾
groSolar is a distributor, installer and integrator of solar energy solutions for residential and commercial installations. The company has offices and warehouses across north America and distributes solar electric and solar hot water systems. groSolar integrates components from leading solar manufacturers including Evergreen Solar, PanelClaw, Motech, Heliodyne, SMA, Fronius and UniRac.
#9
Seed · Johannesburg, Gauteng · founded 2018 · 60 employees$1.3Mraised▾
Provider of solar panel installation services for residential and commercial
- Aug 2021Seed$1.3M
- Dec 2020Seed—
#10
Series A · Cape Town, Western Cape · founded 2007 · 45 employees$2.3Mraised▾
SolarWorks, a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) company based in Mozambique, develops, manufactures and markets solar home system and other related products to off-grid households and small businesses in rural and peri-urban areas. The products portfolio includes solar powerbox; solar roof light; solar power balls; and other accessories like crocodile clamps, 9V charger, inverter, and anti-theft installation kit. The power box is integrated with automated data collection facility which gives clients control over their power consumption data and all transactions are automated using mobile technology. Holds product development unit in The Netherlands with strong market presence is in Southern Africa.
- Jan 2019Conventional Debt$2M
- Oct 2018Series A$2.3M
#11
Seed · Cape Town, Western Cape · founded 2020 · 57 employees—raised▾
Provider of solar panel installation services
- Jul 2023Seed—
#12
Seed · Johannesburg, Gauteng · founded 2014—raised▾
Manufacturer of solar PV modules
- Jun 2022Seed—
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Solar Energy coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
Common questions
Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.