Licensed electricity trader Apollo Africa is ramping up its market entry with a balanced, scalable growth strategy that leverages its position as a trusted intermediary between South Africa’s top-tier independent power producers (IPPs) and a growing portfolio of industrial and commercial customers.

Newly appointed interim CEO Ed Cameron reports that Apollo’s role unlocks reliable renewable-energy supply for South African businesses through wheeling, while helping both IPPs and customers manage risk.

“We partner with businesses to structure long-term energy strategies that offer price stability, supply security, and real carbon reductions – without locking them into single-project risk,” he explains.

The Reunert subsidiary is actively supporting the market in de-risking large-scale renewable energy projects by enabling IPPs to diversify their offtake, while providing customers with greater price certainty and access to renewable electricity through bankable power purchase agreements (PPAs). In doing so, Apollo gains the added benefit of flexibly allocating energy across its expanding customer base as market conditions evolve.

The company is in advanced negotiations to secure capacity from several wind, solar PV, and battery storage projects, working with IPPs to deliver reliable, certified renewable energy into the grid.

Cameron stresses that Apollo remains committed to pursuing large, utility-scale projects, while complementing this with a balanced and phased approach designed to activate trading operations prudently and at scale.

He describes Apollo’s current phase as a “second horizon” in its growth journey – transitioning from initial market entry into a more structured and scalable organisation. “We’re institutionalising our operations, have strengthened governance, and are building the organisational capacity needed to deliver consistently and at scale,” he says.

Cameron brings more than three decades of senior leadership experience, having held several executive roles at Sasol before serving on multiple boards and advising startups in the energy and industrial sectors.

The company is also finalising plans to relocate its head office to Cape Town to be closer to key IPPs, banks, and customers.

Cameron acknowledges Eskom’s concerns over what it views as inadequately developed trading rules, but says Apollo is willing to participate constructively in processes to refine them in a way that is fair and equitable to all participants.

He argues that, while phased, the planned launch in 2026 of the South African Wholesale Electricity Market will represent a fundamental shift for an industry long dominated by a vertically integrated utility model – with traders and aggregators playing a vital role in creating price certainty through long-term PPAs and helping to stabilise the grid by balancing supply and offtake portfolios.

Potential IPP suppliers have been receptive to Apollo’s PPAs for solar PV, wind, and battery storage, while demand from customers – particularly in the light industrial sector – remains robust despite an easing of loadshedding.

This market appetite is underpinned by a growing desire for greater price certainty and renewable electricity to support decarbonisation, especially among exporters.

In addition, Apollo continues to explore opportunities to enhance its offering through complementary capabilities within the Reunert group.

“The energy transition isn’t a zero-sum game,” Cameron concludes. “Success will come from collaboration between IPPs, traders, customers, regulators, and system operators – all pulling in the same direction toward a reliable, lower-carbon energy system.”