Pure off-grid used to be the South African hobbyist's choice. That changed with load shedding. Once Eskom started shedding 4 to 6 hours a day across stages 4 to 6, buyers realised a grid-tied hybrid with battery backup gave them the best of both worlds: net metering credits when the grid is on, and full autonomy when it is not.
For a typical Johannesburg home, the spec we see most is a 5 kW single-phase hybrid inverter with 10 kWh of LiFePO4 and about 6 to 8 panels of 550 W. That covers lights, fridge, wifi, and a TV across most evenings. For a small business, double everything and add a three-phase inverter if the DB board is three-phase. Cape Town and Durban follow the same pattern with slightly less aggressive shedding.
Two things matter a lot in South Africa. First, anti-islanding protection on the inverter. The City of Cape Town and Eskom both want certified anti-islanding, and a non-certified unit will trip or refuse to export. Second, voltage and frequency tolerance. The South African grid is not the cleanest, and a cheap inverter will disconnect at the first dip. Spec for 50 Hz plus or minus 2 Hz and a wide input window.
One more thing: insurance. South African insurers increasingly ask for proof that a grid-tied inverter is NRS 097-2-1 certified and installed by a registered electrician. We have had buyers reject quotes from us because the inverter brand was not on the insurer's list. Check the buyer's insurer before you commit.