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US solar firm targets eleven African markets

Africa , 12 Mar 2014

US solar firm targets eleven African markets

US-based Greenlight Planet has unveiled two solar chargers to be used in selected African market.

Features of the two products include the ability to charge mobile phones.

The two products, Sun King Mobile and Sun King Pro2, are planned to retail at $30 and target target Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, South Africa and the Central African Republic in their first roll out.

The products are charged by sunlight while they provide up to 30 hours energy use.

“Mobile connectivity remains a crucial lifeline in rural communities across Africa, providing banking, healthcare and employment services for users. Yet, often individuals must walk 10 kilometers to electrified shops and pay steep fees to charge their phone,” Anish Thakkar, company chief executive officer said.

The company says it has already sold over 1.8 million solar lamps globally and that it plans to recruit over 3,000 Sun King business associates in both Kenya and Uganda to sell the products directly to the consumers who are not on the national electricity grid.

The initiative is also planned to kick-start this March.

Greenlight Planet operates in nine countries and says it has over 6,000 Sun King business executives in those countries.

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