Oikocredit is once again financing access to electricity in Africa. In Zambia, the Dutch financial institution is opening a $2 million credit line for RDG Collective. The company, based in the capital Lusaka, supplies solar photovoltaic systems for the electrification of rural households and for the productive use of electricity.
With the support of Oikocredit, RDG plans to provide access to electricity for at least 12,500 “low-income” Zambians. “Access to renewable electricity and productive use of energy appliances will enable households to improve their standard of living, increase their income potential and live in greater dignity,” says Oikocredit.
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Since its inception in 2018, RDG has already sold more than 20,000 energy devices, helping to improve the lives of more than 100,000 people through access to clean energy and providing more than 300 people with economic opportunities by employing them as agents. “Oikocredit’s experience and support will help RDG expand the distribution of productive energy appliances that change lives,” says Rune Dige, founder and CEO of RDG Collective.
Among the devices dedicated to the productive use of electricity are solar-powered irrigation systems for agriculture and solar refrigerators for preserving food in shops. This equipment is helping to increase the rate of access to electricity in Zambia. According to official figures, 2.4 million households in this East African country still do not have access to electricity.
Jean Marie Takouleu