Untapped Gold Mine- Solar Energy in Zimbabwe

Diaspora Matters by Victor Muchemwa on November 26, 2016 1.12K views

So two days ago a close friend of mine based in Dubai did send a WhatsApp message asking for advice on replacing her generator in Zimbabwe. Surprised by her question, I asked her whether she knew about the latest and cleanest energy power option in town-Invertors?

So apparently she was in the dark about invertors and I had to go to great lengths to explain to her what invertors are and the numerous benefits that they offer. A far much better option than the old fashioned generator!

Hama dzinodiwa welcome to Alternative Energy…..Electricity will not improve anytime soon.Even South Africa is facing energy crisis..so we just have to adjust for the long haul. Now problem iripo ndeyekuti THERE IS LACK OF INFORMATION….This is the biggest hurdle. Of course tine ma solar lamps being sold by local firms…but vanhu varikuda more than solar lamps. Some of the solar lamps that are on the market are not durable.

We also have solar panels for sale in town…question remains kuti for the layman do they know what is required-how to connect several components the Solar System. How much is required to set up a small solar system? How much is required for service and maintenance?

The majority of the population reside in the rural areas, so what can I do for my folks in Marange if I need to electrify their homestead? What is the minimum requirement for a basic solar system?

If u think my questions are too much then hold on…How many companies are involved in solar system set ups?How many Zim homes have Solar power?Ndeipi company yaunozivawo inoita nezve solar?

Information Gap

The fact that most of you are not aware of major companies that carry out solar power installations means that we have a problem? Big problem…the few companies that are there are not doing enough..no credit facilities, little to zero marketing and yet Harare has 2 million people? Bulawayo with more than 0.6 million?How about Gweru? Mutare…all the provinces?

Solar Companies should do more

Solar companies may need to restrategise and develop the solar market in Zimbabwe. Perhaps ‘develop’ is a wrong word because the solar market already exist-huge market. What is needed is a new breed of innovative marketers who take their time to reduce the information gap that exist. Most people are not investing in Solar Energy because no one has convinced them. Most people are not aware of maintenance issues, cost issues and the available options on the market. Perhaps the Diaspora community should come and invest in this sector? What you need first as an investor is the ability to give people information which is lacking.

Below are some of the responses to this post. The post was originally posted on Zimbabwe Business Ideas and Network Facebook Page in June 2015.

We will post a follow up article on how to market Solar Products in Zimbabwe in the next 2 weeks.

Kuda Chirove Chiloz Ndikutodawo pekutangira WaMdala coz I want to generate enough power for my rural home powering a fridge, and sound system and lights

Mdala Wa Rue Haunzweeka..market is huge but in most cases vanhu vakangoti zii zvavo coz few companies are interested..Dai wa Mdala ndiine nguva ndapinda zvangu ini lol.Companies also need to reach out to the diaspora coz ava vanhu vane access to credit.Aaah zvandikona….Zimboz lets take advantage of this…i even see that some of the products can be sourced in bulk from Asia…Ma Zimbos pasi nerima muma town zvese nekuma misha

Cleopas Muzenda Thats a very good idea WaMdala. Am one person who has been cracking my head thinking about this issue yekuti where can l find a company that is involved in the solar business. Surely it seems they can’t cope with the huge demand for their products. Will be venturing into this business soon. Thank you

Kuda Chirove Chiloz YeInvertor iyo mutown ka1 had it in my office in Mutare and it was working effectively. Ndodawo kuti ndikazotu Mdala ngatimbosvika paruzevha kunoona madhara angu you wont miss both local and international news saka am working a plan kuti ndidzinge rima.

Kuda Chirove Chiloz I once approached Zesa when kuti vaite that solar system but price yacho was a killer

Tendai Bond Cash-Baroness WeMhazi Ko chindiudzai kwekunovhunza ka ‘inIvetor’ dzacho. I’m very interested. Kumusha kwangu kwanetsa magetsi zvekare. No Zesa most of the day. Gogo vangu vari kuchema kuti she’s freezing nechando cz she can’t use her heater. Are there any alternatives dzekuita dziisa imba. Musandiudze zve mbawura kikiki I don’t want my granny to kachidzwa ne toxic smoke.

Tawanda Kufakunesu Chirunga In cases of power there is a thing called upc it stores power when there is electricity psnornda zesa wosara uchichishandisa i use it in my office i go fr more than 8 hours with enough power for computers and lights depending on its size

Godfrey Yelewah Ko marketing yenyu kana yava yekutaura mamwe makambani zvoreveiko waMdala,Mind u munemaprofessionals mugroup rino hanty.Your Business sounds interesting bt pandabata mapanzwa Mdala

Tendai Bond Cash-Baroness WeMhazi Asi zvinoyera kuti Econet etc?? I’m confqused.

Tendai Bond Cash-Baroness WeMhazi Tawanda please tell me more kuti chinoita marii chinhu ichi and chinowanikwepi?

Tendai Bond Cash-Baroness WeMhazi I wanna know if I can bring my own invertor from Dubai? If possible, ndotsvaga yakanzi chii?

Mdala Wa Rue Mukoma Godfrey i have removed the names of the companies involved,point taken..perhaps i was giving them an added advantage?

Tawanda Kufakunesu Chirunga i bought it from auction and changed the batteries putting new ones

Tawanda Kufakunesu Chirunga find a upc inochaja kana kune magetsi

Tendai Bond Cash-Baroness WeMhazi Kuti UPC kunorevei?

Mdala Wa Rue Tindo for solar products go to www.classifieds.co.zw wonocheka solar products for sale…..still the fact remains:::Not enough information available..no website where u can ask silly questions and someone answers.Ini kumba kwangu ndakaisa invertor three years back ata cst of $1,200…handichazive kuti company yakaisa inonzi chii..they never followed up kuti ko mabattery arisei?Ko tine zvinyuwani etc…thats why iam of the idea that when it comes to marketing-customer service ma local solar companies need to work extra hard:::Anyone with excellent marketing skills can actually enter this field and dominate easily..the potentia is unlimited esp when targeting the low income to middle income brackets..kunyangwe mukavhura 50 companies..mese munemukana wekuita huge profits..munokwana mese..for now namatai kuti mamwe ma telecom companies havent considered entering this field

Zimbabwe Classifieds

Find – Cars, Auto Parts, Property (houses for sale & rent), Electronics (cellphones, computers & more), Furniture, Jobs, Accommodation, Services (photography, printing, health, beauty & more)

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Tawanda Kufakunesu Chirunga universal power convertor

Tawanda Kufakunesu Chirunga upc automatically switches to batteries panoenda magetsi zvekuti if u are wrking or watching tv hapana chindzima panoenda magetsi it just continues as if nothing happened panouyawo magetsi inongochaja pasina chawabata its a very gud thing

Izzy WaChichi Humbasha Tawanda there is also a UPS uninterupted power supply. wamdala thats a gud idea another option u cn buy an invetor then 2 o mo batteries build a battery bank. if u hv excess to electrity u buy a an invetor charger in other words wen electricity is ava…See More

Tawanda Kufakunesu Chirunga we talking about the same thing here izzy mamwe akanzi ups if its from a company yakanzi apc anenge akanzi upc

Tendai Bond Cash-Baroness WeMhazi Mdala Wa Rue the day we had the conversation ndakaenda pa Zimclassifieds but problem is pazere ma invertors, mamwe ekuma $200 akanzi anoita TV and computers. Ndakabva ndashaya kuti ndo chooser ipi? Maybe I don’t wanna spend a fortune. Ndiri kungoda inoita 1 light remu sitting room or passage then TV and decorder. Only

Tawanda Kufakunesu Chirunga where are you sir i myt help

Tendai Bond Cash-Baroness WeMhazi Mr Tawanda. I’m a Ma’am not a Sir. I live in Dubai but ndiri kuda kuisira mai vangu in Harare.

Tawanda Kufakunesu Chirunga kikiki sorry maam

June 21, 2015 at 8:45pm · Like

Tawanda Kufakunesu Chirunga but i can help

Tendai Bond Cash-Baroness WeMhazi Inbox info Mr Tawanda.

Tawanda Kufakunesu Chirunga ok

Godfrey Yelewah Oooh sorry for the comment yemanames emacompanies.Panemunhu apinda muaccount yangu,zvatondishamisawo.Ndatofarirawo business,,

Izzy WaChichi Humbasha yes mkoma Tawanda apc thats american power company inoita very gud ups’

Chamu Chamakanda What are the sizes of ups available and how much are each? What of the batteries?

Patience Mawere-phiri Ndazvifarira izvi hama

Yemurai Nhongo-Thepe Brilliant idea, solar is the way asi mamwe ma charge ndeekupenga. Nyaya ye mega profit. Ndoda hangu solar for my home, had never thought of it as a business. Ko solar does it charge when it is cloudy?

Aaron Chikaonda Proper solar energy setup is not cheap if you just need solar for lights yes just go downtown you find plenty of panels and inverters DIY. BUT if you looking for proper alternative you have to have money. And be prepaired to replace batteries at least every third year. But in the long run if done professional it works out to be a the best.

Aaron Chikaonda You can be off the Zesa grid forever and if regulations are relaxed even sell the excess power to the national grid then may be the power company can channel hydro power to industry and farming. It should be a standard regulation that all houses are b…See More

Aaron Chikaonda Uninterrupted Power Supply. UPS. it is battery charger with an inbuilt power inverter . This unit is installed between your main supply and your load it charges the battery installed inside it or outside for much bigger ones when utility power is ava…See More

Aaron Chikaonda Im installing a full solar setup at my house once all is in place I will invite those interested to come and see.
Im doing From power to water heaters. Stove and freezer im planning on gas I want to be totally green.

Yemurai Nhongo-Thepe So informative Aaron, thanks

Callington Chirenje Tafadzwa thanx mdala waRue ,informative

Samuel Manyenyere Thats factual,at times we fail to finde where to order the kits,the idear is good.

Mdala Wa Rue Thnx for the illustrations…but do u all agree that there is a HUGE DEFICIT BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC when it comes to Alternative Energy Information ? Even our diasporan folks do not have sufficient infor?Market Potential is unlimited…heyo mari ma forumites!!!!

Yemurai Nhongo-Thepe True

Prisca Ncube Musere #Tendai weMhazi can u share infor yawakapiwa kuinbox about masolars ,i also have similar questions tthat u asked earlieer

Kudakwashe Celestial How about starting our own firm producing our own solars, regulators, inverters and other appliances than importing these things. This will reduce the price of these things at the same time creating employement and increasing revenue for ouw country

Aaron Chikaonda Solar panels ummm I doubt it . Anyother gadgets that goes with solar panels yes we can . Im using locally made batteries I built my own inverter (why build my own if i can buy one already made? Because i calculated my load and I wanted an inveter that …See More

Philip Marumha Aaron, by the power vested in me by the Zimbabwean government and by the constitution of this forum, I grant u permission to share all the information you have here

Mdala Wa Rue Aaron abva nepiko uyu?Ndiyani akamuunza pa forum? Ndo vanhu vatirikuda pa forum. .God Send..Thnx Bro!!!

Hannah H. Tarindwa Impressive Aaron. I like the way your mind works.

Kudakwashe I think that is what Mdala is talking about. Let us do it ourselves. I hope Aaron is into that business already. All of Africa will turn to alternative energy in the next 30 yrs I solemnly tell you!

Kudakwashe Celestial Wow! Mdala things are taking shape here. Aaron, Hannah and Kudakwashe can start an solar company here. What do say? Aaron lets start something man.

Hannah H. Tarindwa Lol. .. I am a business women of a different kind Kudakwashe. I will write Aarons story and make money from it!

Kudakwashe Celestial I see, I also don’t have passion in solar biz but, all the same my feeling is Aaron is the right person you can work out something for us Zimbos

Mdala Wa Rue Kkk wa Mdala will provide marketing n business innovation…my greatest strengths even tho my background is finance..then mukoma ava voita drive the growth of the company..pakadii apo?

Hannah H. Tarindwa Yaaaa munounza ma documents ese for proofing to me…. toda high quality. Plus design repackaging!

Mdala Wa Rue Kkk mafunga mari Hazvie lol..but seriously Zimboz need to take solar seriously

Hannah H. Tarindwa Zimbas just need to take themselves seriously.

Not to politicize your post but this is seems the right place for my agenda ….. kkkkk

(Allow me to include vernacular)

Dai tasiyana nezve politics and sex tapes. #seriouslyspeaking

I feel deeply about the potential of Zimbabweans as a people. I think pakangonyuka an island with the same resources and no politics toisa just 100 Zimbabwean minds and 1000 pairs of Zim hands that country would prosper. I see it here, Zimbabwean brains and hands and pushing other people’s economies forward.

We can make a difference if we just focus and bring each other up not kick each other down!

Maita henyu. (Very emotional about business)

Aaron Chikaonda Power inveter in action using 2x12volt deep cycle heavy duty batteries . this set up can run none stop for 4day without The power from our national grid . the equipment powered will be equivalent to your tv (not the old type tv but the LCD ,LED type Average screen size), decorder , radio(the louder you play the more power you use) and 4X 11wat power server bulbs may be and a laptop if you realy want to stretch it to the max. the guy you see in the picture is a technical electronics engeneer from a well known telecomms manufacturing company in Japan , he was here to see how we are overcoming the power cut problems on the equipment they supply to Zimbabwe i calculated the power ratings and made the choice on what to use for a one week black out on a telephone PBX . practically it gave me four working day full *throtole.* but on paper it gave me seven days.

Robson Matakala You didn’t tell people kuti with $100 which solar panels or invertors you can buy

Shine Nyaguse That’s awesome

The author Victor Muchemwa

Victor Muchemwa is a Chartered Management Accountant, ACMA, CGMA and an award winning business coach and consultant. Author of 5 books and skilled in financial analysis, strategic planning, risk management, and business coaching. Contact +263 773 055 063