South Africa’s electric vehicle charging landscape is becoming increasingly competitive, with a new player rapidly expanding its footprint across the country as demand for EV infrastructure continues to grow.
Motorists in Gauteng, the Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal have recently noticed the emergence of charging stations branded under Black Tower Energy, a company positioning itself as a major participant in the country’s evolving clean transport sector.
Black Tower Energy is a joint venture between FirstRand Bank’s RMB and renewable energy producer Red Rocket Energy. The company has quietly begun establishing charging stations at strategic locations, including shopping centres, office parks, gyms, vineyards, and beachfront destinations.
The expansion comes as South Africa experiences significant growth in electric vehicle adoption, creating increasing demand for accessible and reliable charging facilities.
According to the company, its business model allows property owners to install and operate charging infrastructure without incurring upfront costs. Black Tower manages both the hardware and software components of the network while working to expand its national presence.
A key element of the company’s long-term strategy involves integrating renewable energy into its charging operations. Through its partnership with Red Rocket Energy, Black Tower plans to leverage renewable power generation should regulatory changes allow broader private-sector access to electricity transmission and distribution networks.
The company launched its first 16 charging sites during 2025 and has signalled ambitious plans to expand to more than 80 additional locations throughout 2026.
Several of the initial installations are situated at FNB branches in Gauteng and the Western Cape, while Red Rocket’s Cape Town headquarters also hosts charging facilities. Additional sites have been established at commercial and recreational destinations across the country.
Despite Black Tower describing itself as South Africa’s largest EV charging network, industry figures suggest the claim is premature. The country’s charging infrastructure market remains led by GridCars, which operates more than 400 charging points across over 200 locations nationwide.
Rubicon maintains the second-largest network, while Chargify has also built a growing presence in the sector.
Unlike its larger competitors, Black Tower currently operates alternating current (AC) charging stations, which generally offer slower charging speeds than the direct current (DC) fast chargers available through other networks.
The rollout has also generated some frustration among existing EV owners. In several locations, Black Tower chargers have replaced charging points previously managed by GridCars, leaving some motorists unable to use credits or vouchers linked to GridCars’ ChargePocket platform.
This has particularly affected drivers of brands such as BMW, BYD, and Volvo, many of whom received ChargePocket accounts, RFID charging cards, or complimentary charging credits when purchasing their vehicles.
Meanwhile, competition within South Africa’s EV charging market continues to intensify. Companies are racing to secure market share as electric vehicle sales accelerate.
Among the challengers is Zero Carbon Charge, which has begun deploying off-grid charging stations along major transport corridors. The company recently expanded its network along the N3 after piloting a station between Klerksdorp and Wolmaransstad.
Chinese automotive giant BYD has also outlined plans to establish between 200 and 300 fast-charging stations across South Africa by the end of 2026, further increasing pressure on existing operators.
Industry analysts view these infrastructure investments as critical to supporting the country’s growing electric vehicle market. New vehicle registration data shows EV sales surged by 193% during the first five months of 2026 compared with the same period last year.
As more motorists transition to electric mobility, the battle to build South Africa’s dominant charging network is only beginning, with established operators and emerging entrants all vying for a share of a rapidly expanding market.