How We Went Solar With Our Soweto Salon — and What I Wish I Knew First
Let me be honest with you: I put off going solar for almost two years because I thought it was something for big companies and rich suburbs. I thought a place like mine — a hair salon in Dobsonville, six chairs, twelve staff on a busy Saturday — couldn't afford it and probably wouldn't benefit from it. I was completely wrong on both counts.
Here's what changed my mind. On a Thursday in Stage 6 load shedding, I sent twelve staff home at 10am because we had no power and the candles weren't cutting it for hair colouring. That day I lost R9,400 in booked appointments. My clients rescheduled, some of them twice that week. One of my regular clients, who I'd had for six years, messaged me to say she was going to a salon in Fourways that "always has power." That stung. It stung hard.
The next morning I started calling around for solar quotes.
What We Installed
I ended up going with an 8 kWp solar system and a 15 kWh lithium battery bank. The total cost was R185,000 installed — which felt like a huge amount of money at the time. I financed it over 48 months, so my monthly repayment is R5,200.
Before solar, my electricity bill was averaging R8,800 per month. It's now sitting at R2,900 per month. That's a saving of R5,900 per month. After the finance payment, I'm R700 per month better off in cash flow from day one — before I even count the load shedding benefit.
The Load Shedding Difference
Since the system went in, we've had Stage 4 and Stage 6 load shedding almost every week. I haven't closed early or turned a client away once. The lights stay on, the dryers keep going, the air conditioner runs. My staff didn't even know there was load shedding one afternoon until one of them checked Twitter.
A client told her friend, "That salon in Dobsonville never closes for load shedding." Word gets around. I've picked up six new regular clients in the last three months who specifically mentioned they came because a friend told them we always have power. That's not something I can easily put a rand value on, but it's real.
What I Wish Someone Had Told Me
A few things I learned the hard way:
- Get three quotes. The first company I called quoted me R260,000 for a smaller system than what I ended up with. The final price I paid was R185,000 from a different installer for a better spec. The difference is significant — always compare.
- Ask about the battery warranty specifically. My batteries carry a 10-year warranty. One quote I got had batteries with only a 2-year warranty buried in the fine print. I almost signed that one.
- The installer's after-sales matters more than you think. Three months after installation, one of my panels started showing lower output in the monitoring app. I called the installer, they came out within 48 hours, found a loose connector, and fixed it at no charge. That responsiveness is worth paying a little more for upfront.
- Check with your landlord first. I own my building, so it was straightforward. If you rent, get written permission from the landlord before you spend a cent. The solar company I chose would not have gone ahead without it, and they were right to ask.
My Advice to Other Small Business Owners
Stop thinking about solar as a luxury. In South Africa today, it is a business continuity tool. Every day your competitors with solar can serve customers during load shedding is a day they can take your clients. The financing is available, the savings are real, and the technology works.
I was sceptical. Now I'm the one telling other business owners in my street to just get it done. The two-year delay cost me far more in lost revenue than the system itself cost. Don't wait as long as I did.
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