Pay-as-you-go microgrids seen offering rural electrification alternative

Pay-as-you-go solar microgrid solutions, coupled with energy storage, is proving to be a boon for the African communities they power and offers opportunities to entrepreneurs to tap into this growing market. South Africa has highlighted the potential of this system through the government Green Fund-supported iShack project, which is providing pay-as-you-go solar electricity for residents in the Enkanini informal settlement in Stellenbosch, in the Western Cape. The project is also creating income for locals through the development franchisees who are trained to install and maintain these solutions, known as iShack agents.