South Africa’s Solar Slowdown: How Smart Installers Are Still Winning in 2025

Remember 2023?

Panels flying off shelves. Everyone and their neighbour rushing to install solar. Installers couldn’t keep up.

Fast forward to 2025 and it’s a different story.

Load-shedding eased. Imports slowed. Customers aren’t in panic mode anymore. The phone isn’t ringing like it used to.

Does that mean solar is dead? Not a chance.
It just means the easy jobs are gone.

The Reality Check

• Imports of panels have dropped by more than half since 2023.
• Utility-scale solar projects stalled in 2024.
• Rooftop PV stock passed 7GW — plenty of capacity already installed.
• And the big kicker: without constant blackouts, the average homeowner doesn’t feel the same urgency to “go solar now.”

If you built your business on panic-driven residential demand, you’re probably feeling the pinch.

Where the Smart Money Still Is

The winners in 2025 aren’t waiting for Eskom to fail again. They’re shifting focus:

1. Commercial & Industrial installs — businesses still want tariff relief and predictable bills

2. Battery retrofits & upgrades — all those 2023 customers? They’ll need storage, maintenance, and tweaks

3. O&M contracts — keeping systems clean, optimised, and performing

There’s still work out there. But it’s not being handed to you anymore.

Why Sales Systems Matter More Than Ever

In 2023 you could afford to be sloppy. Quote late, follow up once, still close deals.

Not anymore.

Today:

• Speed matters. If you take 3 days to send a quote, you’ve already lost
• Follow-up matters. Most installers give up after one WhatsApp. The guys who touch base 3–5 times get the signature
• Customer mining matters. Past installs are pure gold if you know how to go back with a compelling upgrade offer

This isn’t theory. I’ve seen it firsthand: the installers tightening up their quoting and follow-up are still signing jobs while others complain about the slowdown.

Three Fixes You Can Roll Out This Week

1. Quote same-day. Use templates, calculators, whatever it takes. Speed wins.
2. Build a 3-touch follow-up sequence. SMS, WhatsApp, email. Keep it short, keep it human.
3. Re-engage 2023 clients. Offer a free “battery health check” or performance review. Half of them will have issues or want an upgrade.

Want a Hand?

I’m offering a free 20-minute Quote Speed & Follow-Up Upgrade for South African solar installers.

On the call, I’ll show you:

• Where your quoting process is leaking money
• How to build an automated follow-up system
• How to re-activate old clients for quick wins

No fluff. No theory. Just three concrete fixes you can roll out in a week.

👉 DM me “upgrade” or book your slot here.