Kumusha Power will shortly be offering a range of Solar Home Systems to meet the budget of most Zimbabweans. Prices will vary depending on whether a cash or credit purchase is being made, but the most popular models are likely to cost around ZW$3,000.
For those unable to pay cash, a range of extended credit options over 3-24 months will be available to both formally employed and informally employed customers, subject to personal credit checks. These extended Pay-as-You-Go (‘PayGo’) credit options will make these Solar Home Systems affordable, especially for those living in rural or peri-urban areas, for whom credit has not always been available.
The PayGo credit option uses a token system, where payment of an agreed monthly charge of typically around ZW$150 will enable the User to access their Solar Home System’s power for 30 days. This payment will offset the instalment for purchasing the unit. The unit’s control panel will only be activated through entering a unique 12-digit code. This code will only be sent via SMS to the User once any due PayGo payment has been received via a mobile money transfer enabled by Ecocash.
Research has shown that many Zimbabwean families already spend between ZW$100 and ZW$300 per month on alternative energy and lighting options such as kerosene lamps, lanterns, batteries and candles. Most of this money could be used instead to pay the monthly instalments for a Solar Home System.
Delivering Affordable Energy.