South Africa's solar revolution - if you can afford it

STORY: South Africa's regular blackouts aren't a problem for Pierre Moureau.

The 68-year-old financial planner has rooftop solar panels set up at his Johannesburg home.

Africa's most industrialized economy is witnessing a boom in small-scale solar installations - but only for those who can afford it.

"Solar is the way to go because it will free our nation. Most of our nation is actually deprived of their basic human rights and that’s to be able to do work whenever, however and for how long they want.”

South Africa is in the grip of a power crisis.

Debt-crippled state utility Eskom's crumbling fleet of coal-fired plants have repeatedly resulted in power cuts - known locally as load-shedding.

That's prompted promises from President Cyril Ramaphosa to cut red tape in a bid to boost renewable energy.

But those who can afford to are not waiting for government action.

Tabi Tabi has witnessed this first hand.

“Last year, March of last year we sat one month – we got 349 requests. We hadn't seen that within a year."

Tabi's solar company, Granville Energy has, he says, seen a continuous increase in demand for rooftop systems over the past two years.

"People didn't have trust on Eskom’s ability to solve the problem, so they started looking for alternatives."

In the first five months of this year alone South Africa imported solar photovoltaic panels worth 2.2 billion rand, or around $135 million, according to a Reuters analysis of customs data.

Once installed they'll increase the estimated existing small-scale solar generating capacity by some 24%.

That surpasses what the government has managed to procure in a decade of utility-scale solar strategy.

But as with much in one of the world's most unequal societies, there is a divide.

Rooftop solar remains out of reach for most poorer South Africans.

Prince Mkhize works at a carwash in Johannesburg's low-income Alexandra township.

"We’re not that rich, you feel? You can’t just buy solar systems, then you put them on top of the roof and et cetera – the money, that’s the problem."

When blackouts strike, Mkhize's jet wash and vacuum cleaner won't work, meaning he can't earn.

Across a busy motorway from Alexandra is the Sandton financial district, known as "Africa's richest square mile".

It's a place where people are more likely to be able to buy their way out of the blackouts.