Rural areas across Africa present the greatest opportunity for impact and prosperity, as well as a real chance to mitigate the massive urbanisation rates. If rural communities finally get the infrastructure they need and deserve, entire families could choose to continue their lives and prosper in their familiar surroundings, while financial constraints they currently face could be lifted.

The only road toward implementing proper utilities in last-mile, rural areas across SSA goes through the newly-established distributed infrastructure sector. With affordability, scalability, and a stand-alone aspect, distributed infrastructure solutions are taking the continent by storm. Off grid solar systems and mini grids are becoming the go-to answer for electricity, gas balloons are already prominent in clean cooking, satellite-based stand-alone solutions are replacing costly fiber-based broadband, and off-grid pumps are replacing national water pipes. All these products embody the core needs of African governments and rural communities alike, as they answer the various problems presented by national grid solutions.

Read more: The New Times