First Solar establishes South African office and regional director

December 4, 2012
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Thin film manufacturer First Solar has established an operating subsidiary in Cape Town, South Africa. The move follows a recent swathe of large utility-scale PV announcements in South Africa, as part of the country’s first round of renewable energy project bidding.

First Solar has also appointed Johan Cilliers as Regional Director of Business Development for Sub-Saharan Africa to direct operations from the Cape Town office. Cilliers will report to Christopher Burghardt, Vice President of Business Development for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Cilliers has worked at General Electric, Siemens and Eskom in a wide range of roles including market development, sales and marketing, project development and financing.

Read Next

January 7, 2026
Indian independent power producer Inox Clean Energy and its subsidiary Inox Solar have tied up equity totalling INR31 billion (US$340 million).
January 7, 2026
Investor HASI and residential solar and storage developer Sunrun have announced a joint venture to finance 300MW of renewable energy capacity.
January 7, 2026
The inclusion of a thicker aluminium oxide layer in TOPCon solar cells could provide superior resistance to UVID, according to UNSW.
January 7, 2026
Renewables firm Pattern Energy has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire independent power producer Cordelio Power.
January 7, 2026
Oil and gas explorer Pilot Energy has entered into a binding head of agreement with SN Energy Australia for the joint development of a new solar-plus-storage project at Three Springs, Western Australia.
January 6, 2026
Potentia Energy has raised AU$830 million in portfolio financing to support its renewable energy operations and development across Australia.

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Dallas, Texas
Solar Media Events
April 15, 2026
Milan, Italy
Solar Media Events
June 16, 2026
Napa, USA
Solar Media Events
November 24, 2026
Warsaw, Poland