Mickey Mashale, CEO of Changa Energy, discusses a turning point she says will scale up long-term impact in South Africa's energy industry.
As Eskom endeavours to stabilise the national grid, South African industries continue to face unpredictable supply and rising electricity costs, particularly in sectors like manufacturing, chemicals, agriculture, and logistics. These challenges affect profitability, competitiveness, and job security.
To tackle this, Changa Energy (Pty) Ltd, a 100% black-owned company, has secured funding from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) to roll out a 50MW renewable energy pipeline for the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector over the next 2 years.
The structured financing model eliminates the need for upfront capital expenditure (CAPEX), enabling businesses to access solar PV, battery storage, microgrids, and energy monitoring technologies without a major initial investment. This gives companies cost certainty, improved efficiency, and energy resilience, futureproofing them against ongoing supply disruptions.
This partnership aims to drive transformation and inclusive growth through the IDC’s Energy Services Company (ESCo) programme, which prioritises black-owned and black-managed enterprises, ensuring that South Africa’s green energy transition delivers both energy solutions and economic and social impact. Through this partnership, Changa Energy expects to create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs while supporting local economic growth.
“This is about more than financing energy projects; it’s about helping businesses survive and grow despite the energy crisis,” said Christo Fourie, Head of Energy at IDC. “Changa Energy’s work to reduce carbon emissions and enhance efficiency aligns with our goal of building a resilient and industrialised economy.”
This initiative will unlock energy projects across multiple provinces, including Gauteng, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal, injecting economic stimulus into local communities. For example, a medium-sized manufacturing firm could significantly reduce energy costs and protect jobs, while contributing to South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Implementation Plan (JET IP) launched by the government at COP27 for a period of five years (2023-2027).
“Funding from the IDC ESCo programme allows us to scale rapidly and bring renewable energy solutions to more businesses,” said Mickey Mashale, CEO of Changa Energy. “It also supports the development of local solar, battery, microgrid, and cabling manufacturing facilities led by black-owned firms, delivering long-term impact for the economy and the energy sector.”
This partnership demonstrates how government-backed funding and private enterprises can work together to advance sustainable energy infrastructure, economic growth, and national energy resilience.
