Discovery Green, Sasol launch Ampli Energy to widen renewable offerings for SA business

Daily Maverick

15-05-2025

Ampli is the latest chapter in South Africa's renewable energy drive, which has gathered pace in recent years after a long period of government inertia.
Discovery Green and petrochemicals giant Sasol launched a new company on Thursday, 15 May 2025 — Ampli Energy, which aims to make renewable energy more accessible and less costly for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs).
Utility costs from Eskom, which provides about 90% of its power from coal-fired plants, are surging and South Africa needs to slash its carbon emissions to meet its commitments under the Paris Accord and remain competitive in a global economy that is putting a premium on going green.
It is against this backdrop that Ampli Energy has been spawned to help South African business navigate the swirling currents of the green energy transition to contain the pace of human-caused climate change.
'We are on the cusp of an energy revolution,' Discovery CEO Adrian Gore said at the launch Ampli. 'SMMEs are the engine of the economy. Big businesses like ours don't create jobs.'
Discovery and Sasol say that the new offering will be a 'market-first, no-fee, no-risk, no-hassle, month-to-month renewable energy product for South African businesses of all sizes'.
'Ampli Energy pays businesses monthly cash back to replace their electricity consumption with clean, grid-delivered renewable energy,' the companies said in a statement.
Andre Nepgen, the head of Discovery Green, told Daily Maverick that the cash paid back to businesses came from the difference in their overall utility bill and the cheaper costs of renewable energy. The savings were divided between clients and Discovery Green, which was how it made its money.
The product would be delivered through the national grid via wheeling, and Ampli itself required no infrastructure.
'Through simple, month-to-month membership any business anywhere in the country can now replace the majority of its electricity with renewable energy already flowing through the national grid, reducing carbon emissions without upfront capital requirements, installations or long-term contracts,' Discovery Green and Sasol said.
'Ampli Energy pays businesses to run on renewable energy, with monthly cash back paid directly into their bank accounts.'
Ampli is the latest chapter in South Africa's renewable energy drive, which has gathered pace in recent years after a long period of government inertia.
What this means for SMEs
Lower electricity costs
Businesses can reduce their utility bills without needing to install solar panels or other infrastructure.
Monthly cashback is paid based on the savings from cheaper renewable energy.
No upfront investment or long-term lock-in
There's no need for capital outlay, long-term contracts, or installation hassle.
This removes a key barrier that has stopped many SMMEs from going green.
Greater energy access and flexibility
The product is national — it can be used by businesses anywhere in South Africa as long as they're connected to the grid.
The month-to-month nature gives flexibility in tough economic times.
'Ampli Energy is revolutionary. It represents a sea change in green energy,' said Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who pointedly attended the launch.
Ramokgopa said South Africa currently got 23% of its energy from renewables — most of that is from private-sector initiatives off-grid — and the target was to get that to 50% by the middle of the next decade.
Ramokgopa's embrace of renewables remains in sharp contrast with Minerals and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, who proclaimed in March that 'King Coal is back!' at the launch of a new colliery.
'Businesses that previously lacked the capital or capacity to invest in renewable infrastructure can now access clean energy through wheeling arrangements,' said Sasol president and CEO Simon Baloyi.
Sasol's involvement in Ampli is also a boost to the attempts by Africa's second biggest carbon emitter after Eskom to coat itself in a greener sheen.
South Africa is blessed with an abundance of wind and sun, and while it still has coal galore, the writing is on the wall for fossil fuel.