Serco Cape Powered Fully by Solar and Feeding Excess Electricity Back into the Grid

Serco’s Cape Town manufacturing facility has reached a significant clean-energy milestone, operating fully on solar power throughout the summer and generating more electricity than it consumes. The surplus energy is being fed back into the City of Cape Town’s grid, directly supporting the city’s renewable-energy initiatives.

Serco is a leading South African truck and trailer body-building company with branches in all major centres. According to Serco CEO Clinton Holcroft, the achievement reflects the company’s strong commitment to sustainable manufacturing.

“Businesses play a critical role in addressing environmental challenges. Our adoption of solar power reflects our dedication to responsible manufacturing and our commitment to the planet,” said Holcroft.

Since October last year, Serco’s Cape Town operation has consistently generated more solar energy than it draws from the grid — a milestone the company sees as a benchmark for clean-energy adoption in the South African manufacturing sector.

The solar system was originally commissioned at the end of 2023. Its capacity was recently increased, and the company has received permission to enable grid-tied generation, allowing excess clean energy to be exported to the municipal grid.

Between October 2025 and February this year, the facility generated an average surplus of 7,008 kWh per month.

Serco’s renewable-energy progress extends beyond Cape Town. The company’s Durban and Johannesburg operations also utilise solar systems to supplement their manufacturing energy needs, reinforcing a group-wide commitment to long-term energy sustainability.

Holcroft said the Cape Town facility’s results reinforce Serco’s industry-leading position.

“Generating more power than we consume is a major milestone for our team — and for South African truck body and trailer manufacturing. It showcases what’s possible when sustainability and innovation go hand in hand,” he added.