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Revitalizing Off-Grid Solar: Why Africa’s PAYGo Sector is Ready for a New Dawn
Africa's off-grid solar sector, particularly pay-as-you-go (PAYGo) solar, has passed through a period of disillusionment among investors, as profitability has remained elusive. But as Chris Emmott at Acumen, Audrey Desiderato at Mirova and Bankole Cardoso at Delta40 Venture Studio argue, the sector nevertheless stands on the cusp of becoming a mature industry with real and sustainable impact. They explain why they remain optimistic about the future of PAYGo solar as impact investors, and why it's time for honest conversations and compromise from all stakeholders — including companies and their investors — about how the industry can move into the next stage of its development.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Finance, Investing, Technology
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Vidyut Secures $2.5 Million Funding from Flourish Ventures
Vidyut separates batteries from EV ownership and then offers them on a pay-per-kilometre subscription basis.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology, Transportation
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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MOPO Secures US $7 Million Financing With British International Investment
This is aimed at revolutionising access to sustainable energy for millions of households and businesses across both urban and rural communities in Africa who suffer from unstable or no grid infrastructure.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology, Transportation
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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BasiGo Raises $42 Million to Deliver 1,000 Electric Buses in East Africa in 3 Years
The company will put the new funding towards delivering 1,000 electric buses in East Africa within the next 3 years.
- Categories
- Transportation
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- e-mobility, PAYGO finance, scale
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d.light to Sell Solar Power, Clean Cooking Solutions in Kenya Under KOSAP
Through this initiative, d.light will provide solar power and clean cooking solutions to over 150,000 people.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Press Release: d.light Closes New USD $176 Million Securitization Facility for Affordable Off-Grid Solar In Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
Off-grid solar provider d.light and impact investor African Frontier Capital partner on new financing to support consumer loans for solar and high efficiency appliances in East Africa.
- Categories
- Energy, Social Enterprise
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Why Private Businesses — Not Non-Profits and NGOs — Present the Only Scalable Solution for Last-Mile Electrification in Africa
In the pursuit of last-mile electrification in Africa, both businesses and NGOs/non-profits are pursuing different pathways to scale. In a recent NextBillion article, Aneri Pradhan at New Energy Nexus argued that market-led approaches are ill-suited for remote communities, and that philanthropy should focus more on scalable non-profit models. But according to Yariv Cohen at Ignite Power, when it comes to serving these communities at scale, businesses offer advantages that non-profits and NGOs cannot match. He explores why the private sector’s role is critical for addressing energy poverty across Africa.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology
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Off-Grid Energy Leader ENGIE Energy Access Launches 15 Solar Mini-Grids in Zambia, Targets 60 by 2025
ENGIE Energy Access will provide reliable electricity to underserved families and small businesses, creating economic growth and increasing socio-economic welfare in local communities.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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