AFRICA – d.light, a provider of transformational household products and affordable finance for low-income households, has partnered with global telecom operator Orange to open up access to d.light’s range of low-cost solar products for customers in 11 African countries.
Through its Orange Smart Energies platform, orange customers can purchase d.light solar-powered products, including solar home systems, solar inverters, TVs, fans, and portable solar torches.
Orange has started distributing these products through its Orange Energies platform in Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Madagascar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Plans are underway to expand this offering to Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and the Central African Republic.
Targeting low-income, off-grid households, Orange provides flexible payment options through its Orange Money service, allowing customers to pay in installments deducted from their prepaid balance.
This partnership leverages Orange’s extensive reach to deliver solar solutions to rural areas, supporting d.light’s mission to bring affordable renewable energy to underserved communities.
D.light CEO Nick Imudia emphasized the synergy between mobile operators and off-grid solar providers, noting the importance of mobile money services in enabling affordable access to renewable energy.
Orange’s initiative aligns with its broader goal of increasing the use of renewable energy at its rural mobile sites and selling surplus electricity to local communities.
The International Energy Agency reports that around 600 million people in Africa lacked reliable electricity in 2022, exacerbated by recent global crises. Traditional energy alternatives like generators are costly and harmful to health and the environment.
A 2020 World Bank study highlighted that households without electricity spend significantly more to compensate for the lack.
Through its partnership with d.light, Orange Energies can now offer more accessible self-install solar products, enhancing its service portfolio while promoting environmental sustainability.
This collaboration benefits Orange and d.light and contributes positively to the planet by fostering the use of renewable energy in Africa.
Earlier this month, d.light received a US$3.4 million grant from the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) and Energising Development (EnDev) to provide underserved refugee populations access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy solutions.
d.light will supply 10,000 subsidized solar home systems to refugees from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) residing in Northern and Western Uganda refugee camps.
This initiative is part of a larger effort to deliver 23,000 solar home systems to refugee communities across Uganda.
The project commenced in April and is scheduled to span 12 months. Funds from the grant are contingent upon results-based financing (RBF), with d.light receiving funding only upon installation of the solar home systems.
Each system features three high-efficiency LED lights, an FM radio with MP3 playback, mobile phone charging capability, and a portable solar flashlight.
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