ACTOM Power Transformers, a division of ACTOM (Pty) Ltd, recently marked a major milestone, celebrating its 60+ year legacy as a trusted local manufacturer, as well as its recent recommendation for accreditation of the only SANAS-certified power transformer test lab in South Africa.
ACTOM Power Transformers has expanded production capacity at its Wadeville factory.
Although its 60th anniversary fell in 2023, celebrations were delayed to coincide with the completion of infrastructure upgrades in the Wadeville factory, specifically resulting in a 35% increase in production capacity. The upgrades include new winding machines, assembly stations, and a second vapour phase drying oven, which is essential for manufacturing large-scale, high-voltage transformers. These improvements enable ACTOM to meet growing demand from the utility, municipal, and renewable energy sectors in South Africa and across southern Africa.
Steve Jordaan, Divisional CEO at ACTOM Power Transformers says, “Our transformers are designed to last 40 years. With our in-house design team, end-to-end manufacturing capabilities, and cradle-to-grave support, we deliver reliable equipment that our clients can depend on. Beyond our products, we aim to build long-term partnerships with our customers.”
Local expertise, global standards
Founded in 1963 as a subsidiary of Scottish transformer manufacturer Bonar Long, ACTOM Power Transformers has evolved into a fully South African business with a comprehensive in-house engineering and manufacturing team. The company designs and manufactures Class 1 and Class 2 transformers from 2.5 MVA to 315 MVA and up to 275 kV, serving the needs of generation, transmission, distribution, industrial, and renewable energy projects.
Key to its success is its local intellectual property and 30+ years of design experience, backed by advanced engineering tools and global technical partners. The company holds over 50 approved designs with Eskom and is accredited under ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001.
First SANAS-accredited transformer testing lab
The company flags its SANAS ISO/IEC 17025:2017 recommendation for accreditation for its in-house transformer test laboratories as a standout achievement: it is the only such certification for power transformers in Africa.
This accreditation endorses the precision and reliability of ACTOM’s extensive IEC 60076 test protocols, which include impulse testing with a 2.4 million volts impulse generator, chopped wave and switching impulse analysis, PD diagnostics, and full factory acceptance tests (FAT).
“With SANAS accreditation, our customers can trust that our testing is independently certified to international standards,” says Wilma Muller, Sales and Marketing Manager. “This sets a new benchmark for transformer quality and testing on the continent.”
Supporting Africa’s clean energy transition
ACTOM Power Transformers has the largest installed base of renewable energy transformers of any local OEM in South Africa. Its footprint spans over 60 renewable projects and includes landmark projects such as Redstone, Jeffrey’s Bay, Loeriesfontein, Khobab, Perdekraal, and Kangnas, supplying transformers for solar PV, wind, CSP, hydro, biomass and battery energy storage facilities.
“Our transformers are a critical enabler for IPP projects,” Muller says. “We support local procurement, meet REIPPPP job creation criteria, and help EPCs deliver reliable, bankable energy infrastructure.”
The company’s diversification from a single utility customer into serving renewables projects, municipalities, and data centres has reduced business risk and increased its relevance in high-growth markets.
From logistics and abnormal road routing to on-site erection and final SAT (Site Acceptance Testing), ACTOM Power Transformers delivers comprehensive lifecycle support. It also offers its own in-house developed online condition monitoring through real-time dashboards, including dissolved gas analysis (DGA), power analysis, and load trend tracking, to ensure customers can monitor transformer health remotely and proactively.
This integrated approach supports clients from project design to long-term maintenance, enabling 40-year transformer lifespans and lowering total cost of ownership.
With strong foundations and increased capacity, the company is focusing on scaling transformer size and complexity through alternative supply partnerships, as well as the expansion of online condition monitoring services, all of which are geared to support the continent’s growing demand for grid resilience and renewable energy.
“We are proudly South African, and globally benchmarked,” concludes Jordaan. “As power needs evolve, ACTOM Power Transformers remains ready to meet them – with innovation, integrity, and decades of trusted service.”
For more information visit: https://actompowertransformers.co.za/
