Johann Rupert’s energy exchange offers green energy that is cheaper than Eskom

EXSA, owned by Johann Rupert’s Remgro and RMB, wants to revolutionise South Africa’s energy market by offering clean, reliable, and affordable energy to businesses.

EXSA, previously known as the Energy Exchange of Southern Africa, was started by Johann Rupert’s Remgro to bring together green energy producers and electricity consumers.

In November 2022, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) awarded an electricity trading license to The Energy Exchange.

In March 2023, Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) announced it had acquired a 25% shareholding in Remgro’s Ubiquity Energy platform, the holding company of EXSA.

The company started selling electricity to South African companies in June 2023, connecting its pipeline of buyers and sellers.

EXSA provides electricity generators with a single market for their surplus capacity, making it easy for them to convert this capacity into revenue.

Energy consumers, in turn, are given more control over their energy costs, more certainty around future pricing, and potentially better defences against interruptions.

Licensed energy generators feed surplus electricity into the national grid, and customers draw the requisite energy.

When energy is purchased from the EXSA, the amount of electricity generated and consumed is measured in real time.

Energy Exchange customers are then charged for the energy they consume at the agreed rate, which is typically more affordable than most alternatives.

Customers can choose to purchase all or part of their energy through EXSA. Its blended supply and aggregation model brings savings over purchasing renewable energy from a single plant.

It also provides redundancy. If a single plant’s load temporarily reduces, the exchange can sell energy from another plant to a client to mitigate or entirely avoid downside price risk.

EXSA also has an aggregated agreement with Eskom, ensuring that clients do not incur costs for surplus energy.

New EXSA executive team

Last year, the EXSA board appointed a new executive team, led by new Chief Executive Wayne Cowie, to head the company.

The team includes Aishah Gire as COO, Monique Jordaan as head of legal and commercial, Shailin Moodley as head of product, Henri van Eetveldt as head of business development.

Remgro executive Pieter Uys is board chairman, alongside Remgro’s Willem van Wyk and Rekha Sinath, and RMB’s Dario Musso and Kenneth Oboni-Ouma.

Cowie, who took the reins on 1 October 2024, said he was excited to get stuck in alongside his team and help enable South Africa’s transition to clean energy.

Before joining the Energy Exchange, he served as Managing Director for BlueWave Solar’s project finance and merger and acquisition activities.

“We bring together a wealth of experience across energy, infrastructure, finance and technology, united by a shared vision for a sustainable future,” EXSA said.

After Cowie took over, the company rebranded from Energy Exchange of Southern Africa to EXSA and launched a new brand identity, with a new logo and website.

“We’re not just launching a redesigned website. We’re re-energising our commitment to a brighter energy future for Africa,” it said.

“At EXSA, we believe in partnership, innovation, and a sustainable approach to solving Africa’s energy challenges.”

EXSA’s diversified renewable energy

EXSA stated that, as a NERSA-licensed electricity trader, it has developed a diversified renewable energy portfolio that provides numerous benefits.

The energy exchange sources energy from a diverse network of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) across South Africa.

By aggregating energy from multiple sources, EXSA creates a robust portfolio that maximises overall energy savings and contributes to the consistency of energy supply.

“This diversified approach enhances reliability and allows us to tailor solutions to your individual needs, offering flexible contracts and competitive pricing,” it said.

It uses analytics protocols, multivariate optimisation, and portfolio-level design tools to ensure the energy supply is tailored to a customer’s specific needs and goals.

EXSA added that it is exploring new technologies, such as energy storage solutions, to enhance its offerings and provide you with greater reliability.

EXSA delivers electricity by wheeling it from a generator to an end-user in another area using an existing transmission or distribution network.

This delivery may also happen across multiple different distribution networks, such as through Eskom to a municipality.

Today, EXSA is a market-leading supplier of grid-connected renewable energy to South African corporates, industrials and SMEs.

It said its wind and solar energy help companies meet their Net Zero ambitions at a lower price than Eskom charges.

“We make our customers’ green energy procurement experience seamless, sustainable and cost-effective,” the company said.

“We offer our customers a predictable electricity price path, compared to unpredictable utility electricity cost increases experienced under the current system.”