The Uganda Off-Grid Energy Market Accelerator (UOMA) recently released a report examining the demand-side barriers to financing for off-grid solar businesses. Though it is well recognised that off-grid solar will play a major role in closing Uganda’s current electrification gap, a significant funding shortfall threatens the country’s efforts. It has been estimated that…
Last mile distribution (LMD) logistics continues to hinder economic growth across rural India, which houses around 70% of the population, contributing to approximately 35% to India’s overall GDP. Inefficiencies in rural logistics have negative impacts on rural economies reliant on self-employment services, agriculture and construction. Tusker Transport – a Shell Foundation partner since 2015 –…
SureChill recently concluded a successful sales pilot of off-grid domestic refrigerators with interesting insights into key triggers and barriers to purchasing decisions. SureChill was founded in 2009 to commercialise a newly patented thermal energy storage technology deemed capable of bringing reliable refrigeration to off-grid and unreliable grid communities. Having initially focused on developing and marketing…
A new impact report, commissioned by Shell Foundation and authored by ENEA Consulting, positions Sustainable Mobility as a unique and budding sector for which solutions are critical given projected demographic growth in developing countries. The report looks at entrepreneur-led B2C Sustainable Mobility solutions in rural and urban settings targeting low-income populations to alleviate multiple mobility challenges in emerging markets,…
As part of the POWERED programme, co- funded with UK aid from the UK government, SF is supporting the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) to integrate technical and financial assistance towards gender-inclusion in India. This study overview appeared originally on CEEW’s website. Overview The study discusses the barriers faced by women micro-entrepreneurs, who are using…
Shell Foundation partner Shortlist recently released a report examining gender representation in the East African energy sector and uncovering how SMEs can attract, retain and advance female talent in digital roles. Shortlist – also supported by our partnership with FCDO – has been a portfolio partner since 2016 and uses technology to identify top talent…
Successful and inclusive rural economic development needs to be built on long-term understanding of and engagement with rural households. New research, Understanding Rural Pathway Transitions, developed by Shell Foundation (SF) and MasterCard Foundation’s Rural & Agricultural Finance Learning Lab (RAFLL), with support from The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) – provides a structure…
The impact of Covid-19 on the Access to Energy (A2E) sector has been well documented, with multiple surveys identifying the negative impact on sales, disruptions in supply chains, increased risk in customer collections and the cumulative impact of these factors on working capital of A2E enterprises. Enterprises have had to adapt and evolve operations to…
Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) business models have enabled solar product companies to increase their sales and penetration in low-income markets across Africa and Asia, yet the model still faces challenges of high customer default rates, driven by school fees payment scheduling, low yields and dry seasons. The last two of those default drivers can be explained by…
In a new report Easy Matatu present key insights from its work formalising the minibus taxi industry in Kampala, Uganda. Informal transport is prevalent across greater Kampala, contributing to high traffic congestion and air pollution. With over 16,000 minibus taxis in operation, unregulated services and vehicles often mean customers are forced to use poorly maintained,…