The Power-Grid of Africa Will Be People — Not Copper

How Africa is leading the silent power revolution

How power-grids are wasting your energy

For you to get power in your socket, power is upvolted and transported before it arrives downvolted in your house. Then it is downvolted again to feed most of your house appliances. That’s waste. More than 50% of the power is lost. From any power source. All to feed and support our power networks. Is it time we took another look at it?

Africa leap-frogged the telephone copper lines

Africans didn’t jump on the telco’s infrastructure bandwagon of copper gridding the entire continent. It leapfrogged this expensive and obsolete legacy system. Africa went mobile. And now prides itself with higher mobile penetration than many western societies. And the world’s most advanced mobile banking system (Eastern Central Africa). So, how would Africa solve the power problem? Not by building grids, for sure.

Africa leading the power revolution

What will Africa do? It creates a solar chaged DC-based mobile infrastructure of power and appliances. Turning each individual into a power user, a power trader and a power producer. No copper lines. No grid power network to pay. Just share power in your hands. To fuel your life.

Power in your hands

One company is leading the pack. Norwegian innovations for Eastern Africa markets. 600 million people eager to get away from kerosene, disposable batteries and charging stations. Its name is Pawa. And it brings power into your hands. How will you use it?

Pawa Technologies launched in Kenya and is one of 4 Moonwalk Tomorrow companies cocreated by 60 people in one year now employing 15 entrepreneurs supported by 200 angel investors, Moonwalk and the Norwegian University of Science & Technology.