BRIGHT IDEAS - Azuri Technologies
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JULY 2020
BRIGHT IDEAS
Azuri is leading next-generation energy in Africa. Our pay-as-you-go solar technology
works to generate energy access, improve lives and economic opportunities, build
sustainable markets, and combat climate change.
Kipchoge goes the distance to
support Nandi families
The world's fastest marathon runner Kipchoge is keen to use his fame and
Eluid Kipchoge goes the extra mile, platform to spread benefits far and wide,
donating blankets, food and Azuri taking care of those who need help and
solar home systems to support local giving back at every opportunity. He
families worst affected by COVID-19 often visits the surrounding villages and
crisis. provides opportunities to young runners
to experience professional training.
Azuri is delighted to help world Kipchoge is helping households receive
marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge basic goods such as blankets, food, and
support families in Nandi, Kenya with solar energy to be able to live well during
Azuri solar home systems. With their the current pandemic conditions.
new solar power, these households can
now access electricity within their
IN THIS ISSUE
“I am doing a lot of campaigns on social
homes and watch their favourite stars
media as we seek to sensitise athletes Eliud Kipchoge donates Azuri
such as Kipchoge on their solar TVs
and locals on ways to keep themselves
rather than crowding together in bars.
safe from Covid-19. We need to get the
products to Nandi families
Kipchoge lives and trains in Kaptagat, things right,” Kipchoge said. Azuri features as key teaching
30km from his family home in Eldoret in Cambridge Judge Business
where his wife, Grace, and children live. Azuri is proud to donate to Eliud and his
Eliud has always celebrated his home foundation to assist in its inspiring work School MBA courses
country in competition and attributes enabling households to stay safe and COVID-19: How technology is
his success to the long hours of training avoid gathering in groups during the
along Kenyan roads and mountain
changing behaviour
pandemic.
tracks with his village teams and local Case study: Smart energy for
athletes.
> Azuri connecting rural Africa smart farming
www.azuri-technologies.com
COVID-19: Azuri's Action
Springtime 2020 brought a new Azuri has been involved in industry-wide
challenge to our customers in the conferences to determine the response
form of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our of the solar sector to ensure the
priorities continue to be providing a continuation of essential solar business.
safe working environment for all our Azuri is continuing to provide expertise
colleagues both throughout Africa and advice to assist policy makers in
and in the, as well as ensuring our navigating this pandemic.
customers receive excellent energy
services. Now more than ever it is important for
families to have access to renewable,
While there have been restrictions in affordable and clean power in their
some of our key territories, none of homes. Across Africa, many schools have
them has seen a prolonged period of closed which means families have a
total lockdown in the way that has greater demand for entertainment and
happened in many European countries. education within the household, and
In addition, Azuri enjoys “essential social restrictions mean more time
provider” status in our main markets
within the home for now.
which means travel limitations are not
as of yet a major concern.
Customers with children have especially
Our field teams have postponed all benefitted from their AzuriTV systems, as
marketplace-based sales to avoid large their brightly lit solar homes and solar
gatherings, wear masks and follow local TVs have helped with home study
social distancing guidelines. We have during the school shutdowns. Children
been sharing educational materials for view educational programmes to
all our Agents and customers on how supplement their book work, learn new
to wear masks properly, best practices facts from e-learning shows and develop
for hand washing in rural areas and their interests by watching a range of
working with social distancing school appropriate programmes.
interactions. In the UK, the majority of Furthermore, fully charged radios and
our office-based jobs are working from
phones keep customers in contact with
home or on a COVID-safe office
friends and family until it is safe to see
rotation.
them again. As always, Azuri is striving to
keep everyone connected.
1000+ 100%
Azuri donation to the UK office staff working from
Agents with PPE in the field Kipchoge Foundation home or COVID-safe rotations
Solar-fintech is the necessary backbone to support
Africa's digital boom says Kleos Advisory
Kleos Advisory’s latest report Similarly in banking, remote access is
examines how ‘COVID-19 is essential during the COVID-19 crisis. In
accelerating Africa’s digital Kenya, 73% of the population have a
transformation beyond the point of mobile money account and 96% own a
mobile phone. Consequently,
no return’.
consumers require accessible and
affordable energy solutions to keep
Kleos Advisory states: ‘the jolting
their devices charged at all times.
impact of COVID-19 is forcing African
governments and their citizens adapt As more and more businesses and
to a new way of living and transacting individuals rely on digital technology
business remotely. In uncertain times for work and personal matters, the
people innovate and the crisis is demand to be able to support their
accelerating the digital shift’. technology from home increases.
As school shutdowns require children 'Led by smartphone technology and
to learn from home, the off-grid solar solar power, tech will help lead Africa > Read the full report here
industry has seen a marked demand out of the COVID-19 crisis, and as it
for TV and lighting systems. does it will embed itself in the way
Africans live, work and transact'
www.azuri-technologies.com
Going off-grid leads Cambridge Judge
Business School graduate to success
Neil Davey, who holds an MPhil in
Technology Policy from Cambridge
Judge Business School (CJBS) has
won the Worshipful Company of
Marketers’ 2019 Award for
Outstanding Performance in
Marketing for an Azuri case study he
co-authored with Jaideep Prabhu,
Professor of Marketing at CJBS.
The award aims to improve the quality
of marketing teaching in British
business schools. Providing current
case studies of businesses handling
strategic decisions enables students to
engage with real life scenarios and to
weigh different solutions.
The Azuri case study is being used to
"Azuri is an exemplar of a mission- Congratulations to Neil Davey and
teach MBA and MPhil in Technology
Policy courses at CJBS. Case study driven company that understands its Cambridge Judge Business School on
analysis helps students to gain new social responsibility as a for-profit. I winning this prestigious award! Azuri is
perspective on the main challenges hope both other corporations and humbled and honoured that the case
facing key sectors. students alike can learn from the Azuri study will be used to challenge and
business model" states Davey. inspire future generations of MBA
Azuri's CEO Simon Bransfield-Garth students as part of their studies.
believes "success depends on Azuri was chosen for the case study
innovation beyond the product line". which examines how Azuri's Senior
Students assessing the case study will Management team strategically
evaluate novel distribution approaches, > Read the case study here
develops local distribution channels to
for-profit business model flexibility and keep growing the successful pay-as-
adaptation to sub-Saharan African
you-go solar home system model.
markets.
COVID vs Kerosene: How the solar industry is fighting
to keep indoors safe for low-income households
As people stay indoors to avoid Kerosene is an expensive but often In Zambia, Azuri has introduced a
COVID-19, the solar industry fights necessary form of fuel. Families require novel payment plan which offers
to keep households safe from air someone to trek to towns for mobile customers the option to pay a
pollution, burns, and other health phone charging, which is time significant proportion of their overall
consuming and costly. Kerosene is also system cost during the more profitable
hazards which may increase.
notorious for causing detrimental harvest seasons where they have more
health effects from breathing in toxic readily available income. Then during
Off- grid solar is more important than
fumes, which effects the lungs and the less profitable months, they pay a
ever to enable rural communities’
skin. In the World Health Organisation much smaller contributory fee. This
connection to energy, whilst not being (WHO) report "Burning Opportunity", reduces pressure on customers to save
connected to the grid. In March, the ‘This household air pollution (HAP) is money throughout the year for future
Global Off-Grid Lighting Association the single largest environmental risk payments. Azuri’s customer-centric
(GOGLA) wrote an open letter to factor for health worldwide: it caused model is making clean, renewable solar
governments in response to the Covid- 4.3 million premature deaths in 2012’. energy even more affordable to
19 crisis to establish that the off-grid continue connecting the unconnected
energy sector in rural Africa is an The current Covid-19 pandemic has despite the pandemic.
essential service and therefore vital for brought an increased demand, beyond
companies continue to provide health concerns, for solar power for ‘Given a choice, those who depend on
services throughout the pandemic. rural families in Africa. Solar TV enables polluting energy sources would make
students to access educational the switch to clean fuels and
Access to solar energy, provides a programmes and information whilst technologies, much as residents of
multitude of benefits to the consumers schools are in shutdown. Reliable, at- today’s developed countries traded
and in turn creates new consumer home device charging enables families coal stoves for gas burners, and oil
markets globally. Kleos Advisory to stay connected despite distance, lamps and candles for electricity and
estimates that the commercial and affordable payment plans assist light bulbs, almost a century ago’
opportunity for off-grid solar power in those whose work has been affected. - WHO.
Africa is $24 billion per year.
www.azuri-technologies.com
Smart farming requires smart energy
The agricultural sector in Kenya “Joseph is one of just a few Advice on better farming techniques
continues to be the main source of smallholder farmers to have a has helped Joseph improve crop
livelihood for over 70% of the smartphone. He managed to save up yields and make savings. Buying seeds
country’s population. loyalty points and redeem the points via the Homabay Agricultural Board
with his mobile provider. Joseph’s aim WhatsApp group, combined with
Azuri customer Joseph Otieno, 48, is was to accessing farming information better planting techniques, Joseph
a farmer from Rangwe in Homabay online and download apps to help has cut his seed costs by 40% and is
County, Kenya, who grows maize and connect him to co-operatives and using less seed for greater yields.
kale on his 1 hectare smallholding to buyers. But without access to mains
help support his wife and four electricity, he was limited by the cost Joseph still relies on casual work at
children. of having to find ways to keep his building sites to supplement his
phone constantly charged. farming income, but solar has also
Despite agriculture being the main helped him stay a step ahead.The
economic activity in the county, I knew that with a smartphone I ability to keep his smartphone
Homabay is still a net importer of would be able to learn more about continually charged and connected to
food crops and livestock products. the right ways of farming and that I WhatsApp groups has helped him
Outdated farming methods and could sell my produce to customers increase income by more than 50%.
techniques are among the key online. I thought I would also be able Joseph can see where and when
reasons farm output remains low. to sell my maize and kale much workers are needed and put his name
quicker than walking to market and forward, rather than chasing jobs or
Until recently, the local market has looking for buyers” waiting for calls or texts from friends
been the only avenue for Joseph to or family.
sell his maize and kale. His average Since having Azuri solar power
income from farming per quarter was installed in his home, Joseph has Thanks to pay-as-you-go solar, Joseph
about KSh4,000, which was largely been able to charge his phone in the can run a proactive household rather
taken by school fees and essential evenings ready for the next day, saving than reactive, taking control of his
household needs. Of course, like time and money. Joseph has also finances and using the resources
many in the informal economy, joined a WhatsApp group set up by available to him to increase
Joseph has a second income, the Homabay Agricultural Board that productivity and plan ahead. In fact,
spending a portion of his day working shares farming tips including where to Joseph is now saving to build a new
off-farm on building sites. buy certified seeds, the best time to home and possibly buying more
plant, the placement of seed, farmland to keep expanding his
Off-farm employment provides an fertilising and ways to reduce post- businesses. Social media and PayGo
important risk-management tool. In harvest wastage. The group shares solar are revolutionising farming
times of negative shocks that affect weather updates and warnings, and practices in Kenya.
agriculture, such as droughts, families event updates on when the County or
can rely on a second income to the National Government Cereals and
maintain their households. Produce Board requires stock.
> Read more inspiring stories
www.azuri-technologies.com
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