A key contributor to South Africa's energy transition and socio-economic development.

Batho Opportunity Trust is an independent South African entity set up to create long-term socio-economic value through participation in the renewable energy infrastructure space.

Overview & Purpose

Founded by Red Rocket South Africa (Pty) Ltd, the Batho Opportunity Trust is an independent South African entity set up to create long-term socio-economic value through participation in the renewable energy infrastructure space.

The Trust is structured to deliver tangible value to:
Beneficiaries across communities in underserved areas near the Northern Cape/Western Cape border
BBBEE Sphere: Participation of black beneficiaries
Women and Youth

This focus is aligned with South Africa's transformation and inclusive growth objectives. The Trust operates as an investment vehicle with interests in operating renewable energy projects and related infrastructure companies. Through these investments it aims to generate returns that can support the development and upliftment of communities.

History & Evolution

Established in 2017 as the Building Energy Opportunity Trust, it evolved into the Red Rocket Opportunity Trust as part of the Red Rocket Group’s renewable energy platform.
Rebranding as the Batho Opportunity Trust is the next planned step and a pivotal one as Batho (Setswana for “people") embodies the ethos of our pursuit: to benefit those previously overlooked and to be grounded in the essence of humanity and society. Over time, the Trust has enhanced its governance structures to strengthen its independence and operational credibility.
Amendments to the trust deed have removed the influence of the founder and reinforced the independence of trustees.

Trustees

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Nichola Walker-Woodard

As Red Rocket’s Director: Legal Affairs Nichola provides corporate legal oversight for the Red Rocket Group and is responsible for the business’s corporate governance and risk management.

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Katleho Dingaan

Katleho is our Solar Development Manager and a key member of the team – in her role, she implements the necessary deliverables for the execution of our projects in the development phase.

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Leole-Ann Francis

Leole-Ann is Director and Co-Founder of the Jade-Sky Group where she leads Business Development. Leole-Ann focuses on Advanced Project Management, Sustainability, Media Relations, and Marketing. Leole-Ann is a key contributor to innovation and transformation in renewable energy.

Impact of the Trust

Currently, the Trust has equity participation in nine (9) projects which are a mix of private C&I and REIPPPP renewable energy projects across various technologies (solar, wind and hydro). In addition to the existing portfolio, the trust has secured equity participation in nine (9) new solar projects.

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Investments

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Investments

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Project Summaries

Brandvalley Wind Farm

With a nameplate capacity of 144MW, the wind farm along the boundaries between the Western Cape and Northern Cape generates around 595GWh of energy annually, enough to power the needs of roughly 181,000 households every year.

Rietkloof Wind Farm

Sister project to Brandvalley Wind Farm given its proximity, it generates around 585GWh of energy per year with a nameplate of 144MW.

Kathu Solar PV Plant

With a 81MW capacity, this facility in the Northern Cape generates approximately 180GWh of clean energy per year.

Roggeveld Wind Farm

This 147MW project (straddling boundaries between the Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces) generates about 613GWh per year, powering up to 49,200 households.

Kruisvallei Hydro Plant

Red Rocket’s 4MW small-hydroelectric project generates around 24GWh of energy annually. The facility, along the Ash River between Clarens and Bethlehem in the Free State, caters to the energy needs of 1,916 households every year.

In Construction

Tournee Solar Park

This is our third commercial and industrial (C&I) project and the second in collaboration with Discovery Green. With an installed capacity of 331MWp, this Mpumalanga-based facility is one of the largest solar projects in South Africa.

Overberg Wind Farm

This is the largest single commercial wind project in South Africa with commercial operations set to start in 2027. Located near Swellendam in the Western Cape, it is a 400MW nameplate capacity facility with a single point of connection. Phase 1 is being developed with Richards Bay Minerals, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Group; while Phase 2 is being done in collaboration with Discovery Green.

Virginia Solar Park

This Free State-based facility is one of the largest grid-connected solar farms in Africa. The clean energy from the 275MWp project will meet the needs of 210,000 households annually.

Witberg Wind Farm

With a nameplate capacity of 108MW and a contracted capacity of 103MW, this is the largest private wind farm being developed in South Africa to date.

Wolf Wind Farm

Located in the Eastern Cape and with an 85MW capacity, it is expected to meet the energy needs of 110,000 households.

Percentage Investments Chart

Post F­­­inancial Close projects
Project  Project Phase  Contracted MW Shareholding  Technology  Location 
Brandvalley In Operation 140 5.00% Wind Western Cape
Rietkloof In Operation 140 5.00% Wind Western Cape
Kruisvallei In Operation 4 2.50% Hydro Free State
Roggeveld In Operation 144 2.50% Wind Western Cape
Wolf Under Construction 84 5.00% Wind Eastern Cape
Witberg Under Construction 102.6 26.00% Wind Western Cape
Virginia Under Construction 240 2.50% Solar Free State
FE Overberg Under Construction 380 26.00% Wind Western Cape
Tournee Under Construction 300 26.00% Solar Mpumalanga
Total (MW) 1 535
Total Equity Contribution (ZAR) 1 052 305 440

Projects approaching Financial Close
Project  Project Phase  Contracted MW  Shareholding  Technology  Location 
Dwaalboom 1 PTFC 145 26.00% Solar PV Limpopo
Good  Hope PTFC 200 2.50% Solar PV Free State
Rondebosch PTFC 240 2.50% Solar PV Mpumalanga
Virginia 4 PTFC 210 2.50% Solar PV Free State
Florida PTFC 200 2.50% Solar PV Free State
Dwaalboom 3 PTFC 180 2.50% Solar PV Limpopo
Springhaas 1 PTFC 240 2.50% Solar PV Free State
Springhaas 6 PTFC 170 2.50% Solar PV Free State
Total (MW) 1 585
Total Anticipated Equity Contribution (ZAR) 290 908 228

Investment Strategy

The Trust invests primarily in renewable energy infrastructure, focusing on:

Wind Energy

Solar photovoltaic (PV)

Small-scale Hydroelectric Projects

Investments are typically structured through ring-fenced special purpose vehicles (SPVs), allowing participation in project financing while managing risk.

Portfolio of Projects

Wind

Roggeveld Wind Farm (147MW)
Brandvalley Wind Farm (~140MW)
Rietkloof Wind Farm (~140MW)
Witberg Wind Project (~66MW)
Wolf Wind Farm (~84MW)

Solar

Virginia Solar Project (development)
Good Hope Solar Project (development)

Hydro

Zevobuzz Hydro Facility (4.7MW)

Operating Model

The Trust operates through a layered structure including project SPVs, service companies, and investment holding entities. This enables efficient financing, scalability, and risk management.

Strategic Role & Impact

The Trust supports economic transformation by enabling participation of historically disadvantaged beneficiaries in infrastructure assets. It also contributes to sustainable development through clean energy generation, reduced emissions, and local economic upliftment. The Trust’s development initiatives are primarily aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals focused on poverty alleviation, education, health, economic empowerment and community development, reflecting its mandate to deliver measurable socio-economic impact in underserved communities.

The Trust's development model demonstrates strong alignment to social and economic SDGs, particularly:

Core human development goals
(SDGs 1, 3, 4, 10)
Economic empowerment goals
(SDGs 5, 8, 9)
Community and infrastructure goals
(SDG 11)
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SDG Alignment Framework

UN SDG SDG Objective Aligned Trust Initiatives % Allocation Enhancements from trust deed Amendments
SDG 1: No Poverty End poverty Anti-poverty programmes; community upliftment; support to vulnerable groups Cross-cutting Enhanced BBBEE beneficiary targeting
SDG 3: Good Health & Well-being Ensure healthy lives Healthcare services; HIV/AIDS programmes; mental health; elderly/disabled care 35% Improved partnerships with public benefit institutions
SDG 4: Quality Education Inclusive education Schools, ECD, skills training, bursaries, infrastructure 35% Governance improvements support delivery integrity
SDG 5: Gender Equality Empower women Support for women-owned enterprises; inclusive participation Part of enterprise development Formal Women Beneficiary definition
SDG 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth Economic growth Skills training; SME support; enterprise funding 10% Equity participation model clarified
SDG 9: Industry & Innovation Industrialisation Support SMEs; capacity building Part of enterprise development Link to BBBEE HoldCos reinforced
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities Reduce inequality Education access; disability inclusion Cross-cutting Refined BBBEE definitions
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities Sustainable communities Housing; community facilities; care facilities 20% No change to scope
SDG 16: Strong Institutions Inclusive institutions Legal services; protection of vulnerable groups Cross-cutting Governance and controls strengthened
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Key Observations

The Trust demonstrates strong alignment to social SDGs, particularly education, healthcare, economic empowerment and community development. Governance enhancements have strengthened institutional credibility and alignment with SDG 16.

Looking Ahead

The Trust continues to expand its portfolio and strengthen its governance and funding base, positioning itself as a key contributor to South Africa’s energy transition and socio-economic development.