In Africa, national grid electricity has not achieved universal penetration and is often unreliable. Rural areas are particularly affected, The International Energy Agency estimates 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, or 43% of the population, lack access to electricity.

The key to development is electricity. Without it, communities must generate their own power for cooking, lighting and heating, and they are robbed of a wealth of other opportunities especially internet connectivity.

This means many outlying African communities must power their homes using wood fuel. Besides having limited energy applications, wood burning has a double negative impact: it causes deforestation; and it also generates significant carbon emissions.

Carbon-heavy kerosene and diesel generators are other alternatives for lighting and cooking, but these also negatively impact the environment and affect people’s health and quality of life.

For Africa, the most viable solution to this energy dilemma is to establish mini-grids and stand-alone systems, to power the needs of the people in the immediate area. As a mini-grid driver, solar energy offers an impactful alternative for communities across Africa and other emerging economies.

A pan-African company named d.light has embraced the solar opportunity, working to make life brighter for millions of people by bringing clean, affordable power to people in rural parts of Africa. The business has seen enormous growth and already aims to reach one billion people by 2030.

While working in Benin, co-founder Sam Goldman saw his neighbour’s son badly burned by an overturned kerosene lamp. With co-founder Nedjip Tozun he then formed d. light, and together they developed a prototype solar lantern. From there, they set out to bring safe, renewable energy and light to people everywhere, especially where they have no other safe or reliable options.

Today, d. light manufactures and sells solar home systems and appliances to customers across Africa and India and sells through partnerships in 70 other countries.

A key part of their success is d.light’s innovative daily pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model through mobile payment providers, which makes these services affordable and accessible.

Since 2007, d.light has avoided 38 million tonnes CO2e and an estimated two million tonnes of black carbon/particulate matter. With $180 million in investment and revenues of $120 million last year, their PAYG solution has attracted over $600 million in finance.

As a large, successful, purpose-led African environmental business that has already empowered more than 175 million lives, d.light is an inspiring success story for the African entrepreneurial scene. This impact was recognised at the recent Earthshot Prize Awards in Cape Town, South Africa, where d. light was a finalist in the Clean Our Air category.

The Earthshot Prize partnered with MultiChoice Africa to broadcast the event across the continent and beyond, while also producing content to showcase the environmental issues facing the continent and the people working to address them. Amplifying the innovative solutions of companies like d.light aims to inspire young environmental entrepreneurs and accelerate the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future.

This process of spreading inspirational success stories of sustainable climate solutions particularly in the solar-energy space can help to build a movement for energy independence across the African continent. This can in turn unlock all the benefits for energy access at scale and help Africa’s people reach their full potential.

As The Earthshot Prize media partner, MultiChoice has leveraged its pan-African audience of more than 20 million households in 50 countries to showcase the transformative impact of renewable energy, to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy solutions and to empower and inspire Africa’s emerging eco-entrepreneurs.

Being a highly practical, accessible renewable-energy source, solar power can provide light, and be a catalyst for education, economic empowerment, and improved health and well-being. Africa’s unfolding solar story can light the way to a brighter, more sustainable future for the continent.