‘Smart energy puts Mzansi farms on a stronger footing’ 20 August 2026

For Mzansi farmers, energy is no longer simply a cost of doing business. It is increasingly becoming a critical part of how farms remain productive, competitive and resilient. That is one of the key lessons emerging from Huawei Digital Power South Africa’s engagement with Gauteng’s agricultural sector, according to David Durie, agriculture partner specialist at Huawei Digital Power South Africa. “Energy is no longer simply an operating expense for farmers; it is becoming a strategic component of agricultural productivity and resilience,” Durie said…For farmers, a power interruption at the wrong time can mean disrupted irrigation, compromised produce, delayed processing or losses in cold storage. Durie believes renewable energy, combined with energy management and battery storage, can help farmers address these challenges as part of a broader resilience strategy.

…An integrated energy solution can bring together solar PV, advanced inverters, battery storage and energy management software. This allows businesses to make more informed decisions about when energy is generated, stored and consumed. During the day, solar power can be used directly to run agricultural operations, reducing the amount of electricity purchased from the grid. Where excess energy is available, it can be stored in batteries and used later. This becomes particularly valuable during expensive peak electricity periods, while battery storage can also provide backup power for critical loads when grid supply is disrupted...“Irrigation, cold storage, refrigeration and processing” are among the operations where an electricity interruption can have consequences far beyond the immediate energy cost, Durie explained.

…South Africa’s agricultural sector faces growing pressure to produce more efficiently while managing rising input costs, resource constraints and energy uncertainty. Smart energy technologies cannot solve every challenge, but they can give farmers greater control over one of the most important inputs underpinning modern agriculture. The bigger opportunity lies in combining renewable energy with intelligent management, storage and digital technologies to build farms that are not only more sustainable, but also more productive, resilient and competitive. Ultimately, Durie said, the goal is to help build “a more productive, resilient, sustainable and competitive agricultural sector”.