• Ener-G-Africa CEO, Andre Moolman, says the R135 million investment it pledged in April this year has begun to bear fruit.
• Moolman says the investment has allowed the company to develop an energy-efficient cook stove and expand its solar panel range at its manufacturing facility in Paarl, Cape Town.
• The sale of these products are expected to be key drivers in SA’s energy solution sector.

In April this year, you may remember that an investment of R135 million was announced at the fifth South African Investment Conference (SAIC) held at the Sandton Convention Centre.

Now a little over six months later we have an update as to how said investment is panning out, with Ener-G-Africa CEO, Andre Moolman, unpacking precisely what is now being manufactured at the company’s facility in Paarl, Cape Town.

In particular, the investment has enabled Ener-G-Africa to not only develop an energy saving household product, but also expand its existing lineup of solar panel offerings.

“We have harnessed the power of this investment to launch an energy-efficient cookstove manufacturing line in Paarl, and expand our existing solar panel production line in Cape Town from 15MW to a remarkable 500MW capacity,” Moolman enthused, per SA News.

“The 500MW facility will be the largest solar panel assembly plant in Africa, creating South African job opportunities and value addition through advanced manufacturing. In addition to helping reduce the impact of load shedding through domestic sales, Ener-G-Africa will also export to the rest of the continent,” he added.

The CEO also highlighted some of the projects that are expected to come to fruition over the coming year.

To that end, he noted that, “the manufacturing line for the energy-efficient cookstoves has already commenced, and the expansion of the solar plant is expected to be completed in the third or fourth quarter of 2024.”

“Our cookstoves have undergone successful trials among local communities, with incentives available for households wishing to purchase the stoves, thanks to a carbon financed cookstove programme… The use of these stoves and solar panels significantly reduces household living costs by cutting fuel expenses, thus improving lives by providing access to affordable energy solutions,” he continued.

These developments are also anticipated to have an effect on the country’s economy, with product sales made through local shops, agents, and employees set to be of benefit as they feature commission-based sales incentives.

With the investment seemingly yielding a return, we are keen to see what Moolman will be able to share six months, and one year, down the line.

[Image – Photo by Morgane Le Breton on Unsplash]