Off-grid solar companies lead September ranking

From the newsletter

Off-grid solar firms have secured the top four spots in this month’s company ranking. Sun King takes the top spot, followed by Bboxx, d.light and Engie respectively. Engie Africa led in hiring with 221 senior hires over the past 12 months. All of the companies mentioned above have secured deals this year to scale operations in the off-grid solar sector.

• The sector is advancing in local currency financing, with mini-grid company Husk Power securing its first naira-denominated facility, after solar home system provider Sun King closed a similar deal in July.

• The ranking by Renewables Rising relies on LinkedIn data and combines metrics such as number of employees, growth, sales teams, experience, tenure and education for insights into company recruitment and workforce.

More details

• Sun King has the highest number of salespeople in its workforce, 370 out of 1,503. It has also added the largest number of senior sales hires in the past year, standing at 55 among the companies in the list. In July, it received a second round of funding to scale operations in Kenya after an earlier round of $80 million for Nigeria. Its workforce tenure averages 2.5 years, with 17% holding a master's degree.

• Bboxx was also a recipient of funding under the Durable, Accelerated, and Resilient Solutions program. The company added 26 senior staff in the last 12 months. In August 2025, Bboxx appointed Justus Mucyo as its Chief Operating Officer to drive its operations and growth across its African markets. d.light has added 30 senior staff in the past year, bringing the total number of senior staff to 741. With 8.8 years of average experience and a 4.1-year tenure, d.light shows strong workforce stability..

• Engie’s current senior workforce now stands at 1,374, the highest in the list. The company is involved in both utility projects and off-grid solar through its subsidiary Engie Energy Access. It got over $1.1 million in funding as part of the Zambia Energy Demand Stimulation Incentive program in June 2025.

• Fifth in our ranking is Zola Electric. The company onboarded five senior hires, bringing the total number of the senior workforce to 492. The company’s workforce enjoys high stability with an average tenure of 10.3 years, and a quarter of its employees hold master’s degrees.

• EDF Renewables ranks sixth. Following its early rebrand to EDF Power Solutions, it aims to add 500 MW of new low-carbon projects annually in South Africa until 2030. Workforce data shows significant hiring of top talent, with 148 senior hires in the past year. A portion of these are in sales, showing a commercial-leaning strategy.

• Solar Panda, which recently acquired Vitalite Zambia Limited, ranks seventh. 13 out of the 19 senior hires it has onboarded are in sales, mirroring a similar strategy to other off-grid solar companies. The company shows a tenure of 3.7 years and an education level of 20% masters holders. Jinko Solar and Scatec rank eighth and ninth, respectively. The two companies have been active in utility-scale projects on the continent. In July 2025, the company supplied high-performance N-Type solar modules for South Africa's largest rooftop solar installation at the Mercedes-Benz plant. Meanwhile, Scatec will add 846 MW of solar PV capacity to the grid in South Africa under South Africa's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme Bid Window 7.

• JA Solar closes this month’s list at number ten. It onboarded 13 new senior hires, bringing its total senior staff to 51. The company continues to strengthen its presence across the African continent through large-scale module supply contracts and strategic local partnerships.

Our take

• This month’s ranking reveals that off-grid solar firms' staff hiring trends show their big role in Africa’s energy transition. Their tailored solutions for rural Africa are crucial, as the majority of the continent remains unconnected to the central grid.

• The competition for top-tier talent will continue to intensify across Africa’s renewable sector. As the industry matures, the demand for skilled professionals with deep technical, commercial, and operational know-how will grow, not only to deploy but also to run and maintain increasingly complex energy systems. 

• Companies that can attract and retain senior talent with a strong mix of managerial, analytical, and on-the-ground experience will lead the sector’s sustainable growth and innovation.