Exploring the opportunities and impact of sustainable batteries in East Africa

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Although battery usage across Africa has been increasing in recent years and has contributed significantly to the rise of electricity access in Africa from 25% to 47% of the population, key challenges still need to be addressed in order to serve the remaining 600 million people who lack access to electricity. The high cost of…

Promoting banana farming in Tanzania 

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Bananas and plantains form the staple food in the high rainfall areas of Tanzania.  Over 900,000 farming households in the country are engaged in banana production.  In particular, in the areas of Kilimanjaro, Kagera and Mbeya, up to 95% of households grow bananas for food and/or economic reasons, contributing more than 60% of bananas grown…

Unlocking Sustainable Livelihood Opportunities for Rural Women

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The POWERED programme launched by SF, the UK Government and DST Government of India in 2017 supports social enterprises in India to expand their businesses and in so doing, increases the economic empowerment of women-owned businesses in the Indian energy space. Under the POWERED umbrella, SF partners CEEW and Villgro have established Powering Livelihoods, a…

Exploring avocado pomace and briquettes as alternative fuel sources

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Firewood remains a highly important energy source for small businesses across Africa but it is, of course, highly polluting. One of the ways in which small-scale food production enterprises are reducing their CO2 emissions is through transitioning from traditional fuel sources to biofuels as a means of powering their production processes. Supported by funding from…

Getting innovative in the agri-energy ecosystem: Financial instruments better suited to women-led SGBs in Africa

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Women are the backbone of the agriculture sector in sub-Saharan Africa, representing between 60% and 80% of smallholder farmers. However, those aspiring to move from subsistence to small commercial farming are restricted by access to opportunities, resources and financing for growth. Our co-funding programme with the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Catalysing Agriculture by…

Insights on the cold chain needs of fisherfolk and traders in Homa Bay County, Kenya

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Kenya’s fisheries contribute an estimated 0.6% of GDP and largely comprise of freshwater fish.  Over 70% of freshwater fish tonnage is derived from the country’s 6% portion of Lake Victoria which is dominated by small-scale artisanal fisheries and are confronted with a plethora of issues that confine the fisherfolk in poverty amidst declining fish resources.…

Does access to inputs, information, credit and markets result in increased income for smallholder farmers?

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Smallholder farms account for 68.3% of total cultivated area in Ghana. Despite their important role in Ghana’s agricultural sector and economy more generally, however, farmers largely lack access to important support services that affect their productivity and survival due to the risky nature of their craft as perceived by financial institutions. Challenges such as the…

Aggregated procurement for Nigerian mini-grid developers delivers 40% cost savings

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A new research paper demonstrates how aggregated procurement presents enormous opportunity to facilitate access to distributed renewable energy (DRE) technology by improving supply chains within the sector and increasing cost-effectiveness for distributed energy projects. The research presents findings from a pilot programme testing aggregated procurement mechanisms for mini-grid developers in Nigeria. Download the full report…

The holistic impact on low-income communities of battery-as-a-service in rural Tanzania

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A new report examines the impact of Jaza Energy and the battery-as-a-service model on Jaza Hub Operators (“Jaza Stars”) as well as current, former and potential Jaza Customers. The report, conducted by the Busara Center for Behavioral Economics and co-funded by Shell Foundation and the UK government, presents the results of research conducted in the…

New Gender report shows inclusion aligned with improved business performance

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In 2018, we published A Business-First Approach to Gender Inclusion, which presented the opportunity that holistic gender inclusion represented for small businesses and investors operating in the clean energy sector. The report showed clear business performance improvements when a gender-lens is applied to areas including sales, marketing, market research, customer service and hiring. Four years…