30,000 Zambian households gain access to energy

Within a period of nine months, 30,000 Zambian households have gained access to energy for the first time. This was achieved through the collaborative efforts between renewable energy company, Fenix International and telecom firm MTN.

CEO of Fenix International, Lyndsay Handler, commented: “This marks a great milestone for the entire Fenix Zambia team. ReadyPay Solar Power System is now providing power for clean, bright lights, phone charging, satellite TV and more to over 150,000 people in off-grid Zambian households.

“The impact on our customers and their communities is transformational: household income is boosted; families are safe from dangerous and polluting kerosene; children can complete homework after darkness falls.”

According to the renewable energy company, the success of this positioning means that it has been able to quickly reach customers in every province across the southern African country.

Approximately 12 million Zambians live without access to the electrical grid, representing 75% of the total population.

This rises to 95% of rural residents, with people living off-grid primarily relying on candles, kerosene, and batteries.

Expansion to Zambia
After establishing a strong base in Uganda, Fenix expanded to Zambia in exclusive partnership with MTN Zambia, part of Africa’s largest telecom.

The energy company’s customers use MTN Mobile Money to finance their solar systems, whilst MTN’s brand and distribution network help Fenix to quickly scale across the country.

Moses Phiri, head of mobile money, MTN Zambia, said: “We are exceptionally proud to partner with Fenix. By combining Fenix’s quality ReadyPay Solar Power System with MTN Mobile Money, we have brought clean, affordable energy to over 30,000 customers in Zambia.”

Phiri added, “MTN Mobile Money is rapidly growing and changing the lives of so many people in so many ways. We are excited by Fenix’s results in such a short period of time and looking forward to the months ahead as they continue to scale across the country alongside our Mobile Money offering.”

Source: ESI Africa