Portfolio Learning

The DRC – the best PAYG solar market in the world?

BBOXX employee holding solar panel

The Democratic Republic of Congo represents one of the most challenging frontier markets to work in, with no or poor access to energy.

In August 2017, we supported UK company Bboxx, alongside the UK Government, USAID and Power Africa, to pilot their off grid solution in the city of Goma, on the eastern border of the country. The early findings of the pilot were remarkable, with average revenues per user ~4x greater than the average off-grid solar customer in wider East Africa.

In this learning report, Bboxx describe how the market conditions they faced in establishing a business, and the steps they took to help mitigate the risks of entering a perceived high-risk country.

Read the DRC report (PDF 1.2mb).