Solar Finance and Monthly Payment Options: Free Quotes from Local Installers

Ways to pay for solar over time

Options vary between installers and finance providers, and not every route is open to every customer. The main ones are:

• Cash purchase: you pay up front and own the system outright.
• Bank or lender finance: a loan, instalment sale or personal loan used to pay the installer. You own the system and repay the lender.
• Home loan or bond: some owners ask their bank about adding solar to the bond or accessing available equity. Terms depend on the bank.
• Rent-to-own: you pay monthly, and ownership transfers at the end of the term.
• Solar lease or subscription: a provider owns the system and you pay a monthly fee to use it. These are mostly aimed at businesses and larger properties.

Ask each provider who owns the equipment, what happens if you stop paying, and what happens when you sell the property.

What to ask before you sign a finance agreement

A low monthly payment can hide a long term or extra charges. Read the full agreement and ask about:

• The total amount repaid over the whole term, not just the monthly figure.
• Interest rate, whether it is fixed or variable, and any initiation or admin fees.
• Insurance, maintenance and repair responsibilities.
• Early settlement terms.
• What is covered if the inverter or batteries fail, and whether the warranty matches the repayment period.

Finance providers in South Africa must be registered credit providers under the National Credit Act. If in doubt, ask for their NCR registration number and check it. We cannot recommend any provider.

Sizing the system so the payment makes sense

A system that is too big costs more to finance, and one that is too small may not cover your needs. Work out what you actually want it to do, such as backup power for load-shedding, lower daytime grid use, or running a pump or cold room. Our solar calculator helps you estimate the size of system you might need, and the home solar systems page shows how packages are built.

Phasing can reduce the up-front burden. Some owners start with an inverter and batteries, then add panels later, or the reverse. Ask installers whether the first stage is designed to be extended. Businesses should ask their accountant whether tax allowances such as Section 12B apply.

What affects the monthly payment

We do not publish prices or rates. Your monthly payment depends on:

• The size and cost of the system.
• Any deposit you can pay.
• The repayment term you choose.
• The interest rate offered, which depends on your credit profile and the provider.
• Whether installation, certificates and insurance are included.

Ask every installer to quote the same system so you can compare both the system and the payment option.

What to include in your request

• Preferred way to pay: buy, rent or subscribe
• Approximate deposit you could pay
• What you want the system to power
• Property type and ownership status
• Whether you want to add to it later

Solar Financing at different properties

• Family homes: a family home spreading the cost of a hybrid system and batteries over a monthly payment
• Estate homes: larger home systems paid for through instalment finance or a bond, often installed in stages
• Townhouses and flats: smaller backup and panel packages paid monthly, subject to body-corporate consent for roof work
• Farms, smallholdings and lodges: pumps, off-grid power and cold rooms financed against farm income and seasonal cash flow
• Shops, offices and schools: rooftop systems on a lease, subscription or loan so the saving offsets the monthly repayment
• Factories and warehouses: large rooftop and carport arrays funded through lease, power-purchase or asset finance structures

Frequently asked questions

Solar Financing by province and city

• Gauteng
• Mpumalanga
• North West
• Limpopo
• Northern Cape
• Free State
• KwaZulu-Natal
• Eastern Cape
• Western Cape

• Johannesburg
• Pretoria
• Centurion
• Midrand
• Sandton
• Randburg
• Roodepoort
• Krugersdorp
• Randfontein
• Germiston
• Boksburg
• Benoni
• Kempton Park
• Alberton
• Vanderbijlpark
• Vereeniging
• eMalahleni (Witbank)
• Middelburg
• Secunda
• Mbombela (Nelspruit)
• Rustenburg
• Brits
• Klerksdorp
• Potchefstroom
• Polokwane
• Tzaneen
• Lephalale
• Kimberley
• Kathu
• Upington
• Bloemfontein
• Welkom
• Sasolburg
• Durban
• Pinetown
• Pietermaritzburg
• Richards Bay
• Newcastle
• Ladysmith
• Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
• East London
• Kariega (Uitenhage)
• Cape Town
• Bellville
• Paarl
• Stellenbosch
• George
• Worcester

More solar products and services