Local entrepreneurs strengthen business skills for future opportunities
Held over two days at the Parys SMME Hub, this introductory training forms part of the solar facility’s broader supplier and enterprise development strategy.
The first phase of an exciting business skills development programme has kicked off in Parys, welcoming nearly 40 local entrepreneurs. The majority of participants are start-up business owners – many of whom are receiving this formal business training for the first time.
Through capacity building and compliance workshops, they are gaining practical knowledge and tools to strengthen their businesses and improve their competitiveness.
More in-depth training is planned for the programmes second phase, scheduled to take place later this year.
“For me, the biggest lesson was learning about costing, as it’s essential to the success of my business. We also learned about mentorship, collaboration and bookkeeping, which will help us run our businesses better. The training showed us the importance of being accountable as business owners, as well as providing us with knowledge about the laws and regulations that govern our businesses,” shared Nelly Komape, a local environmental entrepreneur and small business owner.
The need for this training was identified by Damlaagte Solar, funders of the programme, through interaction with suppliers and local SMMEs, which revealed common challenges including a lack of compliance documentation and limited understanding of essential business practices.
Photo: Damlaagte Solar
By addressing these gaps, the programme is strengthening the competitiveness of local entrepreneurs and preparing them to access opportunities across the renewable energy, government and private sectors, including those linked to the solar facility’s operational phase later this year.
“The compliance, tendering and procurement topics that we covered in our first workshop generated a lot of interaction from the participants, said Keatlaretse Senoamere, Social Specialist at Damlaagte Solar.
About Damlaagte
Damlaagte PV Facility is a 97.5 MW solar photovoltaic facility operating in the Free State, and owned by Mainstream Renewable Power, uBuzwe Energy (Pty) Ltd and the Thembelihle Trust.
The site, constructed and operated by Mainstream Renewable Power, is the first renewable energy project to supply power under a landmark joint procurement programme by its strategic partners, Air Liquide and Sasol. This programme is a key enabler for both companies’ ambitious decarbonisation roadmaps.
Construction of the Damlaagte PV Facility commenced in November 2023, with commercial operations following in August 2025.
The facility produces approximately 270 GWh of clean electricity annually, powering the equivalent of more than 68,000 homes and avoiding the annual release of approximately 264,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.
