Mobile phone subscribers in rural Zambia who are not connected to the national electricity grid are set to get a solar power boost from social enterprise SunnyMoney.

SunnyMoney, which is funded by UK charity SolarAid, has said it is introducing technology to help the country’s rural dwellers charge their mobile phones using solar light chargers.

In turn, these solar light chargers are also expected to help light their homes.

In a country where 78% of the population is off the grid -- according to Zambia’s Energy Regulations Board (ERB) -- SunnyMoney has said it has sold over 90,000 solar lights and mobile phone charges in the last three years.

“For Zambian families and communities off the grid, using solar light improves children’s study time from one to three hours and makes a home a safer and healthier environment providing bright light every night,” said SunnyMoney operations director Sarah Bentley in a statement.

She added, “In the past, Zambian families and the communities have been forced to rely on toxic paraffin or candles for lighting”.

So far, Sarah said SunnyMoney is mainly active in three districts of the country.

In addition to Zambia, SunnyMoney also operates in Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya. It said it has now sold one million solar lights to families living without electricity in rural Africa.

The solar chargers are expected to reduce the number of people travelling long distances to facilities connected to the national grid just to charge their mobile phones.