M-Kopa launches new products for 40,000 solar kit customers
Ms Jane Mmbone, a beneficiary of the M-Kopa Solar system. FILE PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE
What you need to know:
Energy-saving stoves have recorded the highest sales to date.
A pay-per-use solar energy provider M-Kopa’s diversification programme has begun delivering cooking stoves, smartphone and water tanks to more than 40,000 homes.
The new products are only available for customers who have successfully completed the payment plan on their solar home systems. Customers are able to access affordable financing for more lights, energy-efficient cooking stoves, smartphones and water tanks — with additional products planned for this year.
M-Kopa founder and chief executive Jesse Moore said customers with a responsible payment history can acquire practical products that help them get ahead.
“Most M-Kopa households have per capita income of less than Sh200 per day. This makes it hard to save up to buy life improving products like fuel-efficient stoves,” he said.
“It is also hard to access loans from financial institutions. But with a good credit history M-Kopa makes it easy to upgrade your life. We are trusted to offer a range of practical and affordable products.”
Mr Moore said energy-saving stoves have recorded the highest sales to date. The locally-manufactured clean burning stoves use sustainable fuel delivering additional savings to households.
The stoves use 50 per cent less fuel while cooking twice as fast, saving customers Sh11,480 annually.
Smartphones are also popular for personal and business usage, but these have traditionally been out of reach for most M-Kopa customers, he said.
Daily payments are Sh50, which are the same as solar home system instalments. And the mobile payment plans — of varying lengths, depending on the product value — are managed through the control panel on the solar home systems.
M-Kopa Solar has connected more than 300,000 homes in East Africa. A typical home saves up to Sh60 per day in comparison to the previous spend on kerosene, candles and batteries. These homes are generating a combined savings of Sh22.5 billion which can go to further life-changing assets.
Upon collection of an item from an M-Kopa shop, the customer account is immediately credited with the value of the product and this is shown on the control panel of their solar home system.
Once they complete the payment plan, the product is theirs to own. And customers are covered by guarantees and have access to M-Kopa’s 24/7 customer call centre.
“I acquired my first smart phone thanks to M-Kopa. Previously the thought of purchasing a device was unheard of. All my finances were tied up in basic needs. Today, I am developing mobile phone applications that run on the Android platform and can access real time information at the touch of a button,” M-Kopa customer and Kisumu-based IT student, Felix Ogutu, said.
