• Springbok Solar Power Project spans 350 hectares near Virginia, Free State, with 195 MW capacity.
• Land dispute with natural gas producer Renergen settled via coexistence agreement in September 2025.
• Project expected to generate 430 GWh annually, create 500 jobs, and invest R375 million in local communities.

The South African SOLA Group has officially resolved a legal dispute over land use, clearing the way for Africa’s first multi-buyer virtual wheeling solar facility, the Springbok Solar Power Project, to operate at full capacity. The 195 MW facility, spanning 350 hectares on Farm Weltevrede No. 638, is now expected to generate approximately 430 GWh of electricity annually, enough to power 150,000 homes.

The solar facility’s site overlaps with mineral rights held by Renergen’s subsidiary Tetra4, which controls 187,000 hectares of gas production rights and 20,000 hectares of exploration rights. In April 2025, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) revoked SOLA’s Section 53 consent, citing procedural defects and lack of consultation with Tetra4, halting project operations temporarily. In September 2025, SOLA and Renergen reached a comprehensive settlement and coexistence agreement, allowing both the solar and gas projects to operate within the area. The agreement defines clear operational boundaries, resolving potential conflicts and securing legal certainty for the solar facility’s expansion.

The Springbok project has already created 500 permanent and part-time jobs according to Mining Review Africa, with 49% classified as youth, and invested R375 million in local community programs, including skills development and entrepreneurship initiatives. Economically, it strengthens South Africa’s renewable energy sector and supports local livelihoods.

The facility operates under a pioneering multi-buyer model, supplying energy to Amazon, Vodacom, Sibanye-Stillwater, Sasol, and other corporates. This approach allows companies to procure renewable energy without building their own plants and positions South Africa as a regional energy supplier, with power allocated to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).

Cynthia Eboth Takang