Electricity and Control October 2025

Energy management + energy e iciency

Power solutions for industry across Africa Trafo Power Solutions turned eight this year. Growing locally, developing its capabilities and extending its reach into Africa and abroad, Trafo Power Solutions represents another South African success story. Leigh Darroll spoke to Managing Director, David Claassen, about the trends Trafo sees emerging across Africa and the key factors it considers when designing customised power solutions – o‡en for remote sites and to endure tough working conditions.

(MV) systems and interfacing equipment. Claassen emphasises that the company is more than a product supplier. It engineers power solutions that are designed to optimise e‡iciencies and minimise losses. “We focus on total cost of ownership rather than only upfront capital expenditure – and customers increasingly recognise the value of this longer-term view and the payback it delivers,” he says. Trafo Power Solutions works mainly with the private sector. This is where the demand is. In mining for example, it is dealing with Australian, Canadian and South African mining houses. And in other sectors mainly with South African EPCM consultants and construction contractors. Working across Africa it has developed a network of partners over the years, in-country companies that have an operational understanding of local realities, to support projects in di‡erent parts of the continent. “In our partners we look for an alignment of company culture, compatibility in terms of ethics and operating principles and a clear commitment to service and support. Trafo Power Solutions’ team members are always available to provide support from

David Claassen, Managing Director of Trafo Power Solutions.

C laassen says the Trafo Power Solutions team has around 20 years’ experience in working across Africa and this is an advantage in understanding the demands of di‡erent projects, di‡erent sites and regions, and delivering customised solutions to order. The challenges encountered may be similar – relating primarily to infrastructure, logistics and skills – but each country and each project presents particular variations and specific requirements. A focus on e‚iciency One of the clear trends that Trafo Power Solutions is seeing is the growing focus on e‡iciency. Customers want to see projects exe cuted e‡iciently, with procurement streamlined and a minimum number of suppliers involved. This consolidates responsibilities and reduces costs. “Whether we are dealing with EPCM (engi neering, procurement and construction management) consult ants, or with the end users directly, they are looking for a suite of solutions from one solution provider. Certainly, this is the case in the sectors we work in, providing power solutions for mining sites, for infrastructure and utilities projects in water, wastewater management, and energy, and we are seeing growing demand from new data centres. This approach has clear benefits in terms of simplifying contracting procedures and focusing responsibility, and these continue from supply through operations and mainte nance.” Claassen notes this as a distinguishing feature of the African market. “In more developed regions, like the US and the EU,” he says, “there is stronger focus on specialisation – and the markets operate drawing on a spread of specialist suppliers rather than sourcing comprehensive solutions more directly through one supplier.” Trafo Power Solutions’ history in the field of engineered elec trical solutions is mainly in low voltage (LV) and medium voltage

A dry-type transformer solution from Trafo Power Solutions with integrated control and protection,

12 Electricity + Control OCTOBER 2025