Solar power in Malawi

Many villages in Malawi are still not connected to the national energy grid – which poses a problem for businessmen who need to get plugged in to the global network.

A local company, Solar Charge Malawi has joined the government in the budge of electrifying the rural areas using solar energy. The current electricity demand in Malawi stands at 347 MW and it is projected that demand will be 598 MW in 2015, 874 in 2020, 1193 MW in 2025 and 1, 597 in 2030.

“The main solution to rural electrification is using solar energy because if we think of using the hydro-electric power, then we should forget about giving light to the rural areas taking into consideration the current problems we are facing mainly the never ending blackout,” said Director of Solar Charge Malawi, Riaz Aziz, whose company has invested about 3000 000 Rand in the project.

Currently, Malawians face electricity blackouts almost every day due to shortage of capacity in generating the power, according to the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM).

Aziz said to be connected to the power, each village will need about USD 200. “We need government to come to the people’s rescue by subsidizing the energy so that we cover a large area,” said Aziz. Solar Charge Malawi has its services in Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia which includes lighting the urban streets

In the village of Capuhkwa people are using solar energy, not only to help build businesses – but to transform their lives.