Africa Business Communities
Tanzania: How Solar Phone charging is revolutionising how people do Business

Tanzania: How Solar Phone charging is revolutionising how people do Business

Africa is the fastest growing market for mobile phones and is the second largest after Asia. Tanzania has around 28 million mobile phone subscribers, and a mobile penetration of 63%. Against the backdrop of less than 15% of the population with access to electricity in urban areas and as little as 3% the rural areas, this creates a situation where millions of mobile phone users struggle to charge their phones.

GVEP international has been working with entrepreneurs in Mwanza to increase access to solar generated electricity to meet the increasing mobile phone charging demand. The programme aims to support up to 550 entrepreneurs

As part of a three year programme aimed at supporting the growth of a sustainable market for renewable energy (CARE2), GVEP has been working with financial institutions and distributors of solar phone charging equipment in Tanzania to help micro entrepreneurs meet the growing demands for power in their area.

Emmanuel John Ntemi is one such businessman from Bariadi supporting a family of 5. He runs a small bicycle garage and a phone charging business, which he started with a borrowed solar panel of 70 watts.  The panel allowed him to charge 15 phones per day and earn an additional 3000/Tshs ($ 1.8). This was before GVEP identified him as a business with potential to grow and enrolled him in the programme. As a result, Emmanuel was introduced to a financial institution which loaned him 1 million Tshs ($594) to buy his own solar equipment for powering both his charging business and his barber shop. Emmanuel has since tripled the number of phones he can charge per day, earning between 6000 ($3.6) and 8000($4.75) a day.“I am thankful for the support I have received from GVEP. It has improved my life and that of my family. I used to pay commissions to the friend who’d lent me his solar power system, which had a lot of technical issues. Now, I have a new, reliable system and my customers appreciate my services. I have also received training on business development through GVEP, which has improved my understanding on how to run a business effectively.

”Hemedi Juma Zullu is another businessman, who has successfully harnessed the power of the sun to increase the profitability of his barbershop and to diversify into phone charging.Growing up in Bunambiyu Village, a remote village situated 34 kilometres from Shinyanga, Northern Tanzania, he knew well the challenges that off-grid communities face, but also the opportunities that modern technologies presented.

 GVEP offered him training on how to run a business and introduced him to the Tanzania Postal Bank for a Tsh. 1.2M loan ($694.25), which he used set up his solar phone charging business in Mwasubi Village. He was also introduced to a reputable solar supplier, Zara Solar Limited, that set up his solar phone system to power both his barbershop and his phone charging shop.

Hemedi also used the power generated through his solar power system to provide light to a few nearby retail shops at a cost, enabling them to run after sunset. “Solar power has changed the world for me and for the other businesses,” said Hemedi with a smiling face. “We are all putting more hours into our businesses and customers like it as they can use our services even after dark”.

www.gvepinternational.org

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