Tiger Brands switches on solar power at 7 factories

JSE-listed food production giant Tiger Brands has advanced its multi-million-rand sustainable infrastructure programme, confirming that seven of its South African manufacturing sites are now actively generating solar power.

The targeted capital deployment is part of a long-term decarbonisation roadmap designed to insulate the company’s manufacturing footprint from heavy reliance on non-renewable energy sources.

The fully operational facilities are located across the Free State, Gauteng, North West and KwaZulu-Natal, directly channelling clean energy into daily production activities.

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Tiger Brands’ latest site to go live is its culinary manufacturing site in Boksburg, Gauteng.

The factory, which produces high-profile household brands such as All Gold Tomato Sauce, Crosse & Blackwell Mayonnaise and KOO Baked Beans, was commissioned under a commercial power purchase agreement (PPA) with energy producer Solar Africa.

The agreement includes a 1.9 MWh solar installation, which has been supplying clean energy to the site since May 2026.

Praveen Balgobind, chief manufacturing officer at Tiger Brands, says the solar infrastructure drive serves a dual purpose of operational shielding and macro-economic transition.

“Our investment in renewable energy is about building a more resilient and sustainable manufacturing footprint while supporting South Africa’s transition to a lower-carbon economy.”

“Solar energy is already helping several of our manufacturing facilities reduce their dependence on conventional electricity sources while improving operational efficiency. Importantly, this is just one component of a broader renewable energy strategy that will continue to evolve over the coming years.”

The group’s overarching 2030 environmental stewardship targets dictate that it must source 31% of its total electrical energy requirements from renewable sources by 2030.

Simultaneously, it is also aiming to reduce its carbon emissions by 30% and optimise internal energy efficiency by a matching 30% over the same period.

Site-specific auditing and off-site wheeling

To prevent cost overruns and operational mismatches across its varying commercial hubs, Tiger Brands is actively avoiding standardised utility updates across its network.

Its on-site renewable energy generation framework is paired with localised energy efficiency audits, advanced metering systems and tailored energy-saving interventions.

Balgobind says localised assessment remains central to the group’s manufacturing strategy:

“We are avoiding a blanket approach in favour of site-specific assessments. Our goal is to deploy tailored innovations and initiatives that address the unique needs of each location while systematically eliminating energy inefficiencies.”

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Beyond its immediate, localised property footprint, Tiger Brands is leveraging national grid logistics to hit its environmental benchmarks.

Earlier in 2026, the group signed a landmark electricity wheeling agreement with renewable energy supplier Apollo Africa.

The contract will allow off-site renewable electricity to be wheeled through the national grid directly to the company’s Gauteng manufacturing facilities beginning in 2028.

Through this municipal arrangement, Tiger Brands’ factories supplied via the Ekurhuleni Municipality are projected to receive approximately 60% of their total electricity requirements from renewable sources by 2028.

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