Solar energy in sub-Saharan Africa

Latest Articles

07/05/2025
Hillary Chanda, Chris Harty, Eugene Mohareb and Michael Peters

In sunny Zambia, fewer than 6% of rural people have access to electricity, leaving over 94% in darkness. Zambia could tap into solar power to light up its rural areas, but this potential has yet to be exploited.

How Living Labs Accelerate Clean Energy Innovation

02/05/2025
Kinya Kimathi
Article

The concept of living labs is gaining traction worldwide as a tool for advancing sustainable energy solutions. A living lab is essentially a user-centred, real-life testing ground for innovation.

Comparing Four Last-Mile Distribution Models: Best Practices and Common Pitfalls in Reaching Rural Customers

29/04/2025
Lucie Klarsfeld McGrath, Joana Furquim and Jeanne Charbit
Article

Last-mile distributors (LMDs) provide access to life-changing products and create local jobs in underserved and/or hard-to-reach areas. The term “last-mile” covers a range of locations, from urban slums to rural areas.

Fossil fuels are still subsidised: G20 could push for the funds to be shifted to cleaner energy

28/04/2025
Llewellyn Leonard
Article

Fossil fuel subsidies are paid when a government covers some of the costs involved in producing fossil fuel energy. This can be done by increasing the revenue received by oil, gas or coal companies, or lowering the price paid by consumers for fossil fuel based energy.

Demo-Day: Nigerian energy startups present their innovative business models

23/04/2025
Startup|Energy
Article

Don’t miss this opportunity to see seven Nigerian energy startups present their innovations and solutions for the energy market in sub-Saharan Africa! These dynamic companies are bringing fresh approaches to decentralised energy supply with their products and business ideas.

Ending the Vicious Circle in PAYGo Solar: How Companies and Investors Can Move the Sector Toward ‘PAYGo 2.0’

22/04/2025
Dan Murphy and Willem Nolens
Article

The Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGo) solar industry is facing significant challenges, with many companies experiencing decreases in both sales and investment capital. At the heart of the issue is that companies are selling products on credit to a meaningful segment of customers who either pay late or stop paying altogether.

Internships in Ghana: Opportunities for both graduates in solar industries and other fields

17/04/2025
Ing. Julius Dzah and Kelvin Awuah Adotey
Article

The number of graduates produced by tertiary institutions in Ghana far outweighs the of vacancies created at the end of every year. The few job openings usually state very stringent and rigorous qualification criteria that render many graduates unqualified.

Shifting from Aid to Entrepreneurship: A Better Response to Forced Displacement

13/04/2025
Mary Mwangi
Article

What if the global development sector has been approaching forced displacement from the wrong angle? Instead of seeing forcibly displaced people as passive recipients of aid, what if we recognized them as individuals with agency, ambition and entrepreneurial drive?