Section 12J solar investment opportunity tackles ever-increasing energy costs *This content is brought to you by Futureneers Capital “It may sound like a Land-Rover advertisement, but the best investments by far are the ones that solve major problems, keep doing so over a long period of time, and ultimately result in recurring and predictable income streams for investors. Even better if those investments include upfront tax incentives” says Jaco Gerber, CFO of Futureneers Capital, a registered Section 12J Venture Capital Company and registered financial services provider with more than R300m capital under management in the group. In South Africa everyone is aware of the challenges small to medium sized businesses (SMEs) are facing to cope with constant load shedding by Eskom. This challenge is amplified for many high energy users in the commercial and industrial (C&I) sectors especially manufacturers and operations where constant heating or cooling is required. However, an even bigger threat to their business models is the high rate at which their energy costs are escalated every year, and the uncertainty what to expect in the years to come. From 2008 to 2019 Eskom electricity tariffs have increased by a staggering 446% compared to a compounded inflation growth of only 98%. To put that into perspective – Eskom electricity is increasing on average 4.55 times more than inflation every year.