Considering the country’s energy crisis, this is an even more welcome project knowing that shareholders and guests can holiday at Kagga Kamma without having to deal with load shedding.

Since its inception in 1988, Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve has always valued and upheld environmentally friendly practices – from preserving the natural landscape and protecting the indigenous and endemic wildlife to offering an eco-centric hospitality experience to guests. Continuing in this mission, Kagga Kamma unveiled a new solar power farm on the property in November of 2022. The Farm provides sustainably sourced electricity to the entire Lodge. This means the property is officially off-grid and is no longer reliant on resources that negatively impact climate change, and nor do shareholders have to experience loadshedding.

The Farm itself is large and powerful enough to sustain all of the Lodge’s needs, as well as supply a back-up generator that can maintain the power supply during the rainy season. The set-up is that of a 356kWp (kilowatts peak) DC Solar Array with 300kW (kilowatt) Hybrid Inverters, 1200kWh (kilowatt-hours) Lithium Battery Storage and a 400kVA (kilovolt-amps) Generator.

This project began in early in 2021 with the planning phase. The installation commenced in March 2022 and was ready for testing by September. The system was commissioned without a hitch and was officially unveiled at a ceremony held on the property in November 2022. The cost of the solar farm, excluding the consulting engineers, was just over R12 million.

At present, the solar farm supplies sufficient energy to 13 chalets, 15 lodge suites, 26 staff homes as well as the reception, restaurant, bar, Spa, laundry and communal areas. Provision has also been made for potential future expansion of the Lodge. The project aligns perfectly with Kagga Kamma’s mission towards being a true eco-lodge, and functions alongside the Lodge’s many other environmentally friendly practices.