Alex Rose-Innes
It has been said that one cannot keep a good man down. In the case of Tshibvumo Sikhwivhilu, this certainly rings true.
When Eskom’s Development Foundation was searching for someone whose business brings benefits to his community and the country, they did not have to look far.
Lamo Solar, established by two young Gauteng-based entrepreneurs in 2012, had become a force to be reckoned with in the renewable energy market, specialising in Solar Photovoltaic (PV) solutions.
Tshibvumo Sikhwivhilu and Elmond Khoza, passionate about alternative energy, started Lamo Solar while completing their undergraduate degrees in electrical engineering at University of Witwatersrand in 2012.
Using panels and solar geysers to provide clients and particularly off-grid rural communities with access to energy, they had seen their company grow in leaps and bounds as they addressed the electricity challenges facing South Africa and the sub-Saharan African region.
When the national grid could not support the South African population in a sustainable manner, these two young men found a way to provide their clients with tailored solar PV systems in residential, industrial and commercial set-ups.
Not only could they address the load shedding issue which saw businesses lose millions, they provided on- and off-grid and hybrid solar systems, as well as back-up solar systems.
The Randburg-based Lamo Solar won first prize and R100 000 in the Construction and Engineering category of the Business Investment Competition of Eskom and as Sikhwivhilu was quoted in the press, “as classmates, we both developed a keen interest in solar photovoltaic technology as a response to the mismatch in energy supply and demand and the lack of access to electricity in rural communities.” The two enterprising young men put their education, skills and prize money to good use and today boasts four permanent and six part time employees.
Thus far, Lamo Solar had generated and installed more than 500 kilowatt of solar energy, benefitting other entrepreneurs who had been battling with consistent power supply as Eskom’s woes increased.
Lamo Solar featured their products at a Small Business Expo and with their marketing, networking skills and long awaited products could engender increased business as potential clients and investors looked for mutually beneficial collaborations.
The company guarantees their solar solutions as its output power and stellar workmanship brings answers to a market desperate to cut downtime. As the fastest growing black-owned and managed solar EPC firm SA, the team at Lamo Solar had installed 10 000 solar modules. Its products include solar photovoltaic solutions and energy storage systems for industrial, commercial and residential clients.
Passionate about the planet, these enterprising young men are driven to provide clean energy options to the 70% of sub-Saharan Africans who have no access to energy. They also aim to decrease the carbon footprint of fossil fuel-generated electricity.
Once, a student who battled to finish his studies, Tshibvumo Sikhwivhilu is Chief Executive Officer of Lamo Solar, with former classmate, Elmond Khoza acting as executive chairman and co-founder and Didier Iradukunda, chief Technology Officer, part of the management team.
