Best battery brands to fight load-shedding — with prices

Batteries are essential components of backup power solutions, and some of the best brands available to South African customers include Hubble, Revov, Dyness, Deye, Sunsynk, Shoto, HinaEss, and PylonTech.
Those looking for energy storage for their backup power solution have several options from which to choose from several reputed brands, with prices starting at R3,357 per kilowatt-hour.
MyBroadband previously asked prominent South African solar installers, including SolarAdvice, AWPower, Home Energy, and Rubicon, for insight into the best battery brands available in the country.
AWPower managing director Christian Hattingh emphasised that extensive local support is one of the most important things to look for in a battery manufacturer.
“We’re not just loyal to one brand. We try to support everyone that’s got a good reputation, good pricing, and good support, but the support is probably the most important thing for me,” he said.
AWPower recommended the following battery brands as some of the best in South Africa:
- Deye
- Dyness
- PylonTech
- Revov
- SolarMD
- Sunsynk
- Volta
Rubicon Energy and Mobility director Greg Blandford also said support was a key consideration and emphasised that customers should peruse warranties and reviews for battery brands.
“A lack of reviews might indicate that the product is new or not widely adopted yet,” said Blandford.
“Longer warranties are generally preferable, as they suggest that the manufacturer believes the battery will remain functional for a substantial period. Typically, ten years is the norm.”
Rubicon said the best brands in South Africa include PylonTech, SolarMD, and Weco.
SolarAdvice marketing manager Sam Berrow told MyBroadband that customers should consider price point, scalability, performance, and after-sales support.
She recommended brands like BYD, Dyness, PylonTech, Shoto, HinaESS, and Hubble.
“South Africans are big fans of the Dyness and PylonTech range because they are compatible with most solar inverters, and they are reliable,” said Berrow.
“Other brands like BYD, Shoto, HinaESS and Hubble are also popular in South Africa due to their price point, scalability and performance.”
Matthew Cruise, head of public relations at Hohm Energy, recommended brands like Deye, Magneto, SolarMD, Sunsynk, and Volta.
Load-shedding battery price comparison
MyBroadband compared pricing for various battery sizes available from several of the best brands in South Africa.
We also compared the batteries on a price per kWh basis.
We included the price per kWh calculations to indicate affordability. Some customers may prefer prioritising certain brands rather than just focusing on bang-for-buck.
A wide range of battery capacities is available to South African consumers, with the smallest we compared being 2.56kWh and the largest being 10.65kWh.
However, it should be noted that even smaller and larger options are available. We opted for battery capacities ideal for various home backup power setups.
While solar installers did recommend all-in-one products like the Tesla PowerWall and Huawei’s Power-M backup solutions, we elected not to list these for this comparison as they would look far more expensive than the rest due to their built-in inverters.
Prices for various battery sizes from a range of brands are compared in the table below. Batteries are listed from least to most expensive across three capacity categories.
Popular battery brand prices | |||
---|---|---|---|
Battery | Capacity (kWh) | Price | Price per kWh |
<4kWh | |||
Revov | 2.56 | R8,595 | R3,357 |
Hubble | 2.75 | R14,990 | R5,451 |
Magneto | 2.56 | R14,999 | R5,859 |
Dyness | 3.60 | R17,940 | R4,983 |
Pylontech | 3.50 | R19,990 | R5,711 |
SolarMD | 3.70 | R26,260 | R7,097 |
4kWh – 7kWh | |||
Dyness | 4.80 | R17,957 | R3,741 |
Dyness | 5.12 | R18,444 | R3,602 |
Deye | 5.32 | R19,990 | R3,758 |
Shoto | 5.12 | R19,999 | R3,906 |
HinaEss | 5.10 | R21,850 | R4,284 |
Volta | 5.10 | R21,900 | R4,294 |
Magneto | 5.10 | R22,499 | R4,412 |
Revov | 5.12 | R22,500 | R4,395 |
PylonTech | 4.80 | R25,300 | R5,271 |
Hubble | 5.50 | R25,995 | R4,726 |
Sunsynk | 5.32 | R26,420 | R4,966 |
Deye | 6.14 | R28,500 | R4,642 |
Weco | 5.40 | R24,150 | R5,489 |
BYD | 5.00 | R35,575 | R7,115 |
>7kWh | |||
Magneto | 7.60 | R33,499 | R4,408 |
Volta | 10.24 | R40,500 | R3,955 |
Hubble | 10.00 | R57,138 | R5,714 |
Sunsynk | 10.65 | R57,995 | R5,446 |