South African renewable energy company SOLA Group has begun supplying power from the continent’s first solar facility designed to sell electricity to multiple corporate buyers through SA’s grid. The 195-megawatt (MW) Springbok Solar Power Project is described as a significant step in enabling large businesses to access clean energy at scale across the continent.
This is the fourth large-scale private wheeling project SOLA has brought to commercial operation. Wheeling enables power generated at one site to be transmitted through the national grid for use by private buyers elsewhere. The facility brings SOLA’s total operational portfolio to 464MWp, which the company says is the largest for operational private power contracts in SA.
SOLA said in a statement released last week: “The facility has pioneered the flexible multi-buyer platform model for large-scale solar Photovoltaics (PV) in the region and is currently the only facility of its kind that’s operational in Africa. This project represents an important step in modernising South Africa’s grid infrastructure while creating a model for future development and demonstrates how innovative approaches can accelerate grid modernisation.”
SOLA provided the following key highlights:
- The facility offers long term maximum savings and rolling power purchase agreements (PPA) with flexible contracting, a new market offering that allows for shorter-term, scalable agreements to existing buyers mixed with the longer-term contracts.
- The model is pioneering, allowing for multiple corporates to procure from one plant with flexible contract lengths and is the first multi-buyer operational project with a short-term contract option.
- The country’s first virtual wheeling PPA.
- Amazon served as the anchor buyer whose long-term commitment was instrumental in unlocking financing and enabling the project to move forward.
- Beyond Amazon, the 195MW facility has contracted with significant partners including Sibanye-Stillwater, Sasol, Afrimat, Redefine, Old Mutual and Vodacom.
- One of Africa’s first multi-buyer virtual wheeling solar PV facilities has achieved its COD ahead of schedule, cementing SOLA Group’s reputation for delivering projects within budget and on time.
- The impact of the facility includes R375-million invested in local communities and employment opportunities for 500 permanent and part-time employees to date alongside offsetting 399,000 tonnes of CO₂. This demonstrates the significant impact of bringing new renewable energy capacity to South Africa’s grid. This project helps accelerate the country’s transition away from carbon-intensive power sources while providing a model for future development.
The utility-scale solar PV facility is designed for multiple private corporate clients and SOLA says is considered a breakthrough for the multi-buyer model in the African energy landscape.
The company says that energy wheeling plants have traditionally relied on a single private offtake. The Springbok Solar Power Project, it says, breaks new ground by combining long-term anchor contracts with buyers such as Amazon and Sibanye-Stillwater, along with shorter-term, flexible agreements with seven additional companies.
This innovation, SOLA says, results in more client choice and optionality depending on their current business outlook. The structure aims to enable more organisations to participate in the renewable energy market, creating a more resilient and diverse energy ecosystem. Additional buyers include Rio Tinto, Redefine, Old Mutual, Vodacom, Sasol, Afrimat and BRM Brands.
“As part of our commitment to being net-zero carbon by 2040, AWS is proud to support innovative renewable energy projects like Springbok Solar Power Project,” says James Hickman, AWS SA country manager.
“This collaboration not only advances our sustainability goals but also helps pioneer new models for corporate renewable energy procurement in Africa. The multi-buyer approach demonstrates how cloud and sustainability can work together to create scalable solutions for businesses of all sizes.”
Richard Stewart, Sibanye-Stillwater CEO, says: “Achieving commercial operation of the Springbok Solar Power Project is another milestone in our journey to energy independence and decarbonisation.
“This is the second project to achieve commercial operation in our 407MW portfolio of contracted renewable energy projects, contributing to our goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. We would like to thank our partners at SOLA Group for effectively managing the construction and start-up, securing our offtake.”
The project will deliver a virtual wheeling power purchase agreement (PPA) with Vodacom. SOLA says this is a key innovation in how companies on Eskom low voltage power networks and in municipal-connected areas can access renewable energy.
This approach aims to enable buyers that previously lacked access to cost-effective bulk clean energy, particularly those that have already reached their on-site generation limits.
The project has allocated power to sell to the SAPP (Southern African Power Pool) market which it intends delivering in October 2025. This power seeks to pave the way for more energy supply to SA’s neighbouring countries currently facing large and costly energy deficits.
At full capacity, the Springbok Solar Power Project is reported to generate ~430 GWh annually, enough to power 150,000 homes; offset ~399,000 tonnes of CO₂ each year (which is the equivalent to planting 6.5-million trees).
SOLA says more than R375-million has been invested in nearby communities and the project workforce, with all workers recruited locally and 49% classified as youth.
The community investment initiatives include the Sports Against Crime programme, which organises school tournaments to provide young people with structured recreational activities.
Another initiative, the sewing and fashion programme in Matjhabeng Municipality, has trained unemployed learners for work in the textile sector. In 2024, 47 participants graduated with recognised qualifications and received sewing machines to support future employment or small business development.
Jonathan Skeen, SOLA MD, says: “Springbok Solar Power Project cements our role as South Africa’s pioneering wheeling IPP, offering a range of long- and short-term products to our clients. Our collaboration with Amazon has been instrumental in enabling South Africa’s first wheeling project in 2020 and now Springbok, Africa’s first multi-buyer virtual wheeling facility. Delivered ahead of schedule, Springbok demonstrates that renewable energy can be provided reliably, flexibly and at scale.”
Sarushen Pillay, Sasol executive VP for business building, strategy and technology, says: “We are delighted to have secured the opportunity with SOLA Group for additional green electrons. While also contributing renewable energy to our operations, this initiative contributes to our objective to unlock cost savings in our business.”
The launch of the Springbok Solar Power Project coincides with continued growth in global renewable energy generation. In 2023, renewables accounted for 29.9% of global electricity output, rising to an estimated 32–36% in 2025.
The project was developed through a joint venture between SOLA Group and WHBO, with funding from RMB, Investec, Absa, Revego, and Ubuzwe. According to SOLA, the initiative demonstrates the application of wheeling as a model for large-scale renewable energy projects and contributes to the advancement of virtual wheeling and market reforms.
SOLA plans to extend this model in its upcoming utility-scale projects, scheduled to begin construction in 2026. The company says these projects will include battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity integrated with solar power to improve cost efficiency and reliability during peak electricity demand.