British firm signs solar deal in DRC

A British company aims to provide solar power to millions of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where less than a fifth of the population have access to electricity.

London-based BBOXX last week announced that it had signed a deal with the Congolese government securing exemptions on import duties and VAT for solar equipment.

That step has removed “prohibitively high” costs related to bringing in panels and batteries, according to BBOXX CEO Mansoor Hamayun.

BBOXX plans to provide kits to customers comprising panels, a radio, a battery and several appliances, as well as larger systems to power households and small offices in urban and semiurban areas. Prices will start at $15 a month, with customers paying by mobile-money platforms, Hamayun said.

“We think that by the end of 2020 we can reach 2.5-million people” with between 300,000 and 400,000 installed systems, he said, comparing it favourably with the current options, where Congolese people spend much of their income “on things like paraffin, candles and diesel for generators” for what is “often a very poor quality of supply”.