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Africa’s largest retailer, Shoprite Holdings, partly owned by South African billionaire Christo Wiese, has brought its 100th rooftop solar photovoltaic system online, marking more than a decade since it launched its first project in 2015.
The latest installation was completed at Shoprite Morula in Tshwane. With total installed capacity now exceeding 43,300 kilowatt-peak, the company says its solar footprint ranks among the largest held by any private business in South Africa.
The retailer estimates its rooftop systems generate enough electricity each year to power nearly 12,300 households, easing pressure on a national grid that has faced years of supply constraints.
Renewables reach 7.2 percent of power
Shoprite Checkers chief sustainability officer Sanjeev Raghubir said the milestone reflects a long-term effort to curb emissions while keeping stores operating during periods of power instability. “In 2015, we made a commitment to reduce our carbon footprint and play a role in addressing South Africa’s energy challenges,” Raghubir said. “Reaching our 100th installation shows how much ground we’ve covered.”
During the 2025 financial year, renewable sources accounted for 7.2 percent of the group’s electricity use, up from 6.5 percent a year earlier and above its internal target. The company consumed 151,243 megawatt-hours of renewable energy, cutting emissions by 137,026 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Shoprite has also extended solar use beyond store rooftops. The group has fitted 1,397 refrigerated truck trailers with solar panels, saving an average of 3.2 liters of diesel per trailer each day and reducing emissions by a further 6,000 metric tons.
Shoprite expands private power wheeling
Shoprite operates more than 3,500 stores across Africa and employs over 160,000 people. Its presence spans seven countries, with recent store openings concentrated in Namibia, Zambia and Eswatini. The group plans to add 223 new stores in the 2026 financial year. Wiese, who owns a 10.67 percent stake, remains a key shareholder. Forbes pegs his net worth at $2 billion.
Alongside on-site generation, Shoprite is expanding its use of electricity “wheeling,” which allows private parties to buy and sell power across existing transmission networks. In 2024, the retailer became one of the first companies to wheel renewable electricity through the City of Cape Town’s grid. It now supplies power to 11 sites, including its Brackenfell head office, and says it is in talks with additional partners.
