However, there are large areas of the world where there is no electricity grid and no reliable alternative source of electricity. DIGILOGIC innovator YAAKA Investment Ltd addresses the need for access to electricity along the value chains where there is no electricity supply.

YAAKA, based in Zambia, aims to address the need for access to clean electricity all along the value chains where five out of six rural sub-Saharan Africans do not have access to grid electricity that is needed for charging phones, tablets, laptops, etc.

 In particular, Yaaka will introduce pay-as-you-go solar energy charging mobile stations as a readily available energy source with charging ports, which avoid overcharging or less charging that can negatively affect devices’ batteries. Yaaka targets to be 50 percent cheaper than the current charging kiosk through 80 percent efficiency in energy for the lowest possible overall carbon footprint. In addition, Yaaka will provide accessories, spare parts, maintenance, and repair for the devices that their customers bring to be charged. A further option being analysed by Yaaka is to introduce a delivery and collection service for large batteries, which can provide electricity supply for several devices for a few days.

Yaaka’s Chimfwembe Mutale and Lenganji Singoyi are receiving mentoring support from DIGILOGIC partners in order to develop and scale up their solutions. In particular, VTT has provided Yaaka with advice about electric engineering, mechanical engineering, production engineering, and solar engineering in relation to the development of its mobile charging stations.  For example, with expert technical input from VTT, Yaaka has been able to carry out detailed analyses of whether mobile charging stations are most economically viable as a separate physical booth structure transported by truck or as a van fitted out with charging points. Furthermore, VTT has supported Yaaka in analyses of different types of vans, which have the potential to be fitted out as mobile charging stations that carry accessories and spare parts for electronic devices.

DIGILOGIC partner Bongo Hive is supporting them in the business development and customer discovery journey.