Enlit Africa 2025 South African Electricity And Energy Exhibition, Henan State Grid Automatic Control Electric Co., Ltd.'s Microgrid Solution Helps Africa's Energy Transformation

At the CTICC exhibition hall in Cape Town, South Africa, representatives from multiple African power companies stopped to exchange ideas in front of smart microgrid equipment from Henan, China, and nodded frequently at the integration of small wind turbines and intelligent distribution solutions.

From May 20th to 22nd, 2025, the Cape Town International Convention Center (CTICC) in South Africa will host the annual event of the African power and energy industry - Enlit Africa Power and Energy Exhibition. Henan State Grid Automation Control Electrical Co., Ltd. showcased innovative products such as small wind power generation systems and intelligent distribution cabinets at the exhibition, becoming a Chinese force in exploring the clean energy market in Africa.

As the largest and most professional power energy event in Africa, this exhibition has attracted more than 250 exhibitors and over 10000 professional visitors from 82 countries around the world. The exhibition is hosted by internationally renowned energy exhibition organization Clarins Energy, covering the entire industry chain of power generation, transmission and distribution, energy storage, and renewable energy. It is known as the "golden channel" for Chinese enterprises to enter the African energy market.

01 .Entering Africa: Top Platform Showcases China's Intelligent Manufacturing

In the CTICC exhibition hall in Cape Town, South Africa, the booth of Henan State Grid Automatic Electric attracted many international visitors to stop and visit. The small-scale wind turbine demonstrated by the technical engineers of the company's overseas business unit has become a breakthrough tool for the power supply problem in remote areas of Africa.

Participating in one exhibition and gaining the value of two platforms "- this is the unique advantage of Enlit Africa. This exhibition is upgraded from the merger of POWER GEN AFRICA, a well-known power exhibition in Africa, and AUW, a South African public utilities week, covering the entire power industry chain comprehensively.

ESKOM, the South African power company, has been a long-term supporter of the exhibition and has participated as the host power company for several consecutive years. The large-scale participation of senior technical decision-makers provides exhibitors with high-quality docking opportunities. According to statistics, 70% of participants in previous exhibitions held senior positions in enterprises and had purchasing decision-making power.

The six major product areas covered by the exhibition are highly compatible with the technical direction of Henan State Grid Automatic Control Electric Co., Ltd.: microgrid system integration, power automation control equipment, intelligent distribution solutions, energy storage technology applications, etc. are all listed as core exhibit categories.

02 .Technical Highlights: Microgrid+Intelligent Distribution Dual Engine Drive

At the Cape Town exhibition, the overseas business unit team of Henan State Grid Automatic Control Electric Co., Ltd. showcased three sets of industry solutions:

●Off grid wind solar complementary system: with 5-20kW small wind turbines as the core, combined with solar energy and energy storage modules, specially designed for non electrified areas in Africa. Its low wind speed start-up characteristic (3m/s) perfectly adapts to the wind resource conditions in inland Africa, solving the problem of electricity consumption in areas that traditional power grids cannot cover.

●Intelligent distribution management platform: an intelligent distribution cabinet that integrates real-time monitoring, fault self diagnosis, and remote control functions, which can reduce operation and maintenance costs by 30%. The device adopts a modular design and is compatible with existing power facilities in Africa, which has received high attention from South African power maintenance engineers.

●Intelligent energy storage system: a flexible energy storage solution adapted to microgrids, supporting smooth replacement of diesel generators. In line with the clean energy transition plans promoted by multiple African countries.

The key to Africa's energy transformation lies in the implementation of distributed solutions, "said an engineer from Henan State Grid's overseas business unit of self-control electrical at the exhibition technology forum." Our modular design allows communities to build independently operating microgrids within 12 weeks, which is crucial for remote areas lacking electrical infrastructure.

03.Market Opportunity: China's Solution in the Blue Ocean of African Electricity

The African electricity market is undergoing structural changes. More than 600 million people in sub Saharan Africa still lack stable electricity supply, and microgrids and off grid systems have been listed as key promotion plans by the World Bank. In the latest "2030 Energy Roadmap" released by the South African government, it is explicitly required to increase the proportion of decentralized renewable energy to 35%.

The exhibition team of Henan State Grid Automatic Control Electric Co., Ltd. keenly grasps this trend. Africa does not need to repeat the old path of traditional power grids, "the company's overseas business manager said at a customer negotiation meeting." Smart microgrids can directly achieve efficient utilization of clean energy, and our smart distribution cabinets are the 'nerve center' for the stable operation of microgrids.

During the exhibition, the company team reached 17 preliminary cooperation intentions with the power departments of South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and other countries. Among them, a mining group in South Africa expressed a clear intention to purchase a 200kW wind solar energy storage microgrid project. This plan can help the mining area reduce the cost of diesel power generation by 40%.

04.Strategic Layout: Exploring Emerging Markets through International Exhibitions

The Enlit Africa exhibition, as a barometer of the international power industry, brings together international giants such as ABB, Siemens, Schneider, as well as Chinese companies such as State Grid and China Power Construction for consecutive years. Henan State Grid Automatic Electric Co., Ltd.'s participation in this exhibition is a crucial step in its strategy to enter emerging markets.

Through the exhibition, we not only promote our products, but also gain a deeper understanding of the characteristics of electricity demand in Africa, "the head of the overseas business unit said in an interview at the booth." Africa is not a single market, but 54 differentiated markets. The demand information we collected in Cape Town for three days exceeded half a year of online research.

According to exhibition data, the number of professional visitors this year has increased by 20% compared to the previous edition, with a significant increase in the number of buyers from emerging markets such as Nigeria and Ethiopia. This change indicates that the wave of energy construction in Africa is extending northward from South Africa.

As the exhibition comes to an end, the overseas team of Henan State Grid Automatic Control Electric Co., Ltd. has received 37 customer inquiries at the Cape Town exhibition, which are being translated into specific design proposals. Among them, the small-scale wind power microgrid project will be piloted in Zambia and is expected to be put into operation in early 2026.

Enlit Africa is not only a showcase, but also a bridge for energy cooperation between China and Africa. As revealed by the exhibition theme, when Chinese manufacturing meets African demand, dark corners will be illuminated.

>Before leaving the booth, the Technical Director of ESKOM Power Company in South Africa touched the model blades of the wind turbine again.

>What we need is not just equipment, but a complete solution to turn on the lights. You have brought possibilities.

Company Profile

Henan State Grid Automatic Electric Co., Ltd. focuses on the research and development of smart grid and clean energy technologies, with products covering microgrid control systems, intelligent distribution equipment, new energy generation devices, etc. Its business covers more than 30 countries worldwide.