PAIA Access Manual

This PAIA manual shows which records SP-Energy keeps and how to request access to them. Homeowners, businesses, farms, solar installers and resellers can use it to ask for quotes, invoices or warranty records. SP-Energy has supplied and installed solar equipment across South Africa since 2013.

What Is PAIA and Why It Matters

The meaning of PAIA is simple: you have a legal right to request records a business holds. That right comes from the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000. Section 51 requires private bodies like SP-Energy to publish a PAIA manual that explains their records. A private body is any business or organisation that is not part of government.

Company Particulars and Information Officer

  • Registered name: Solar Panel Energy (Pty) Ltd, trading as SP-Energy.
  • Registration number: 2019/066312/07.
  • VAT number: 4600287983.
  • Information Officer: E Oosthuizen.
  • Email: inquiry@sp-energy.co.za.
  • Phone: +27 74 305 2967 or +27 64 741 8248.
  • Physical address: 204 Louis Trichardt Blvd, S. E. 1, Vanderbijlpark, 1911, South Africa.

E Oosthuizen receives every PAIA submission and decides on each request. Solar installers and resellers may request records for a client with written proof of authority.

How to Submit a PAIA Request Form

Lodging a request means sending a written application for a specific record. Use the prescribed access to information request form, known as Form 2 PAIA. Older guides refer to Form C PAIA requests, but Form 2 replaced that form in 2021.

  • Download the PAIA form from the Information Regulator website or ask us for a copy.
  • Describe the record clearly and say which right it helps you protect.
  • Choose how you want access, such as a copy by email or an inspection.
  • Email the completed form to inquiry@sp-energy.co.za with a copy of your ID.
  • Pay any prescribed fee once the Information Officer confirms the amount.

We decide on a request within 30 days, as the PAIA Act 2 of 2000 requires. An extension of up to 30 more days is allowed, and we will tell you in writing. Fees are set by the PAIA Regulations, not by SP-Energy. No request fee applies when you ask for your own personal information.

Categories of Records We Keep

SP-Energy keeps the records it needs to supply, install and support solar equipment. Delivery records cover nationwide delivery in 2 to 5 working days.

  • Statutory records: CIPC registration documents, director details and company policies.
  • Client records: quotes, orders, invoices, delivery notes and EFT, card or PayFast payments.
  • Installation records: site details, system designs and installation notes.
  • Warranty records: serial numbers, claim forms and supplier correspondence.
  • Financial records: bank statements, VAT returns and tax records.
  • Supplier records: purchase orders, agreements and stock records.
  • Employee records: contracts, payroll and leave records.
  • Website records: enquiry forms, cookies and analytics data.

Storage and security of these records are covered in the SP-Energy privacy policy.

Other Laws That Require Records

Some records are kept because South African law requires them.

  • Companies Act 71 of 2008.
  • Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011.
  • Value-Added Tax Act 89 of 1991.
  • Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997.
  • Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008.
  • Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002.
  • Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013.

Requests for your own personal information also fall under POPIA, set out in our POPIA privacy notice.

When Access May Be Refused

PAIA protects some records, so a request can be refused on fixed legal grounds.

  • Privacy of another person, such as a different client’s details.
  • Commercial information of a third party, such as supplier pricing.
  • Confidential information that we promised to keep confidential.
  • Safety of people or property.
  • Records protected by legal privilege, meaning lawyer and client communications.
  • Trade secrets or commercial information of SP-Energy.
  • Research information belonging to SP-Energy or a third party.

If we refuse, we give written reasons and name the section of the Act we rely on. Partial access may be given when only part of a record is protected.

Your Remedy if a Request Is Refused

You can complain through the Information Regulator complaints page within 180 days of our decision. Another option is an application to court within the same 180 days.

Complaints sent to inquiry@sp-energy.co.za are acknowledged within 2 working days. We aim to resolve them within 7 working days.

Questions About This PAIA Manual

Need warranty or installation records? Contact the SP-Energy team and mention this PAIA manual in your email.

Last Updated: 1 November 2026