South African Solar Price Index

The index prices the same basket every quarter: 5kW and 8kW hybrid inverters, lithium batteries of about 5kWh and 10kWh, 540W to 630W solar panels, equipment-only hybrid kits, installed home systems, and the entry price of monthly subscription and rent-to-own plans.

Every price comes from a public retailer or provider web page, checked on 26 September 2026. We record the price as shown, the exact product, whether the listing includes VAT, and a link to the page. Promotional prices are recorded as charged and flagged. Pages that hide prices, need a login or say "call for price" are left out.

Only VAT-inclusive listings enter the medians, so every figure is comparable. Listings excluding VAT, or where VAT is not stated, stay in the table and the downloadable data for reference, as do the few listings outside the basket definition (for example a "5kW kit" with an off-grid inverter), with the reason shown. Panel prices are converted to rand per watt so different wattages can be compared.

A median needs at least 3 qualifying listings. For monthly plans we take each provider's cheapest plan that includes a battery, so a provider with five tiers doesn't outweigh one with a single plan. This quarter, installed systems and monthly plans fall short of that threshold: few installers publish an installed price, and only two monthly providers state that their prices include VAT. Their listings are still shown below.

These are list prices, not installed quotes, except in the installed-system row. They exclude delivery unless the listing includes it. An installed system also depends on the roof, the distribution board, cabling, protection and the Certificate of Compliance, so a site-specific quote will differ.

SolarGuide earns referral fees from eligible Alumo quote requests, and Alumo prices appear in the installed and monthly rows. They are recorded the same way as every other provider's, and no seller paid to be included. The next edition is due in December 2026.