How do you take a renewable energy startup and scale it into one of Africa’s leading clean power providers?In this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with James Irons, as the past co-founder of SolarAfrica, how he grew it into one of SA’s leading energy players before exiting. From early struggles with cancelled projects to raising capital and powering mines, factories, and communities, James shares the behind-the-scenes journey of scaling a business at the heart of Africa’s energy future.We dive into: • Why Africa’s energy crisis is also its biggest opportunity • The challenges of regulation, funding, and market trust • Lessons in resilience, leadership, and navigating the rollercoaster of entrepreneurshipIf you’ve ever wondered what it takes to solve some of Africa’s toughest infrastructure challenges, this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction

08:10 How Solar Africa started in Kenya: The early challenges

21:20 First Major Joint Venture: Managing R300–400 million in CapEx

36:23 The Wheeling Revolution Explained

54:42 Open Access Energy’s role in Simplifying a Complex Industry

01:00:05 An existential founder moment: Why James Stepped Away from Solar Africa

01:01:24 Visionary vs. Integrator Partnerships

01:08:14 Entrepreneurship & Motivation Shifts

01:30:00 The origin story of Open Access Energy 

01:36:23 James’s new role as Executive Chairman

01:45:38 Future of Open Access & Energy Markets