Cape Town - South Africa's clean energy looks bright as Balancell unveiled its new state of the art Gigafactory in Ndabeni with a ribbon cutting ceremony by the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Andrew Whitfield and founder Ian de Vries.
Balancell is a pioneer in intelligent energy storage and a proudly homegrown South African business which was founded in 2013.
The business designs, engineers and manufactures lithium ferro-phosphate smart batteries used in a wide range of industries
Esteemed guests and members of the media were invited to the launch and given a tour around the new gigafactory.
The Ndabeni Gigafactory is the first facility that Balancell has owned and the first Balancell batteries powered electric forklifts. Now they are found in electric yachts, refrigerated trucks, golf carts and even 4x4 game viewing vehicles.
Balancell was founded by Dr Ian de Vries, whose passion for science and technology was ignited in high school.
He said that the business has grown over the years that they had to move about six times.
“The launch of the new gigafactory is significant, hopefully we now have enough space that can keep up with our growth so we don't have to move again and we can stabilise and we can be more efficient in manufacturing.”
“We are proud to be here, we think we have a really good battery and passed all our local certifications. We are the first to be tested and passed locally.
“We have a proven track record in one of the toughest applications. Support from local consumers will be appreciated and I think we can offer a good solution.
“We are starting to supply to the continent such as Nigeria, Kenya, Namibia and will be sending our first shipment to Portugal with the idea of expanding into Europe.”
Balancell was recently recognised by the Financial Times as the fastest growing manufacturing business in Africa in 2024.
A key aspect is the modular design, which allows individual components to be replaced in the event of a fault or damage, rather than having to replace the whole battery. It's a more sustainable way of operating, as well as creating massive cost savings over the long term.
Furthermore, the batteries have a longer lifespan, are more recyclable, and are built to be durable, reliable and safe, even in the harshest environments.
Another key aspect of Balancell batteries is that they connect to the cloud, constantly uploading diagnostic information that allows battery health to be monitored remotely.
Speaking at the event, Whitfield commended Balancell for its investment into the local manufacturing industry, and the positive knock-on effects that this investment will yield.
“Balancell's investment of R150 million in this factory is not only directly in line with the strategic priorities of the Government of National Unity, but also testament to the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that defines many South African businesses. We are excited about the prospects for growth and job creation in the coming years.”
“Our mission is to make it easier for businesses to grow and create jobs and for people to get jobs and keep those jobs, that is absolutely fundamental.
“The South African government is working closely with industry to identify opportunities to deepen the battery technology value chain and to position South Africa as a manufacturing hub on the continent.”