Launching a solar installation company requires a mix of technical expertise, capital investment and compliance with industry regulations. What does it take to start a solar installation company in Zimbabwe and is the market really worth the investment?

Schools benefiting from the project had a 6.5KVA solar power system installed on school premises to power the administration block and a computer lab equipped with 40 power charging stations. A lockable kiosk with power ports rakes in extra cash for schools that charge a minimal fee for community members to power their cell phones.

Over 20 000 households have been empowered through village business units (VBUs). The business units, which have benefitted from over 3 500 solar-powered boreholes that have been drilled mostly in rural areas under the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme, reportedly generate up to US$3 000 in dividends for beneficiaries.

Cabinet approved the Presidential Solarisation Project which is a livelihoods initiative aimed at providing sustainable renewable solar energy to household beneficiaries in the eight rural provinces of the country. The project targets approximately 200 000 beneficiaries a year and will run for a period of five years starting from 2025.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through the Global Fund, has installed solar units at 1 044 health facilities, achieving a cumulative capacity of 11 megawatts.

The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) plans to invest US$62 million in a home solar systems project aimed at rural households as part of the Government’s efforts to ensure universal access to electricity by 2030.

In a landmark moment for rural development, a 200-kW solar mini-grid and green village model was commissioned in Hakwata village. The project, currently at 20% utilisation, powers 85 homes, 18 businesses, a school, a clinic, and 3 community boreholes, with ample capacity for future growth.

President Mnangagwa’s recent ban on the export of raw lithium ore mandates that all lithium mining companies in Zimbabwe beneficiate the mineral domestically, setting the stage for local battery production.