- 2 months ago
From Nigeria to Kenya and Ethiopia, solar promises a brighter future. But the boom also poses surprising challenges. Plus: The case of Burundi's vanishing lakes.
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00:06Welcome to our 500th show, 500 shows, thousands of ideas helping shape a better future.
00:15Now, we would have had some fireworks to mark the occasion, but as we know, they're not
00:20exactly sustainable.
00:22Instead, we've got a deep dive into a topic that is close to our hearts.
00:27It's an important pan-African subject.
00:30What could it be?
00:31Okay, I'll tell you.
00:32It's solar energy.
00:34More and more, Africa is turning to the sun in the race to find new ways to meet the energy
00:41demands of today.
00:42But turning that potential into actual progress is not always easy.
00:47We'll visit three countries to see how they're navigating the opportunities, challenges and
00:52choices shaping the future of solar energy on the continent.
00:57And we start right here in Nigeria.
01:05It happens almost every day.
01:08Just as he sits down to work, the power goes out.
01:11He asked to remain anonymous, fearing problems with his landlord.
01:15Some period, straight three days, no light at all.
01:20One week, no light at all.
01:22So in the middle of the night, you hear the children crying because they are sweating.
01:32Nigeria's unreliable power supply affects millions of people.
01:36Diesel generators are expensive, so why not simply switch to solar?
01:41This Lagos resident was tired of the constant power cuts, so he decided to generate his own
01:47electricity.
01:47So I just got solar panels, they're outside, and only for me to just court it, to inform
01:56my landlord that I have solar panels, I want to install them.
02:00And he said he doesn't allow that things out.
02:04Because as solar installations spread, concerns about safety are growing too.
02:15Fearing fires like this, many landlords in Nigeria are reluctant to allow solar installations
02:21on their properties.
02:22A series of videos circulating online have added to those fears.
02:29But why do some solar systems catch fire?
02:32You know, what you are witnessing, that you see that fire, is most likely from a substandard
02:43product.
02:47The fire is starting from the solar charge controller, now this one is from the panel.
02:55According to experts, the problem is often not the solar technology itself.
03:00Many fires are caused by poor quality components, faulty wiring, and poor installation.
03:06Demand is growing faster than the number of certified technicians and substandard equipment continues
03:11to flood the market.
03:13So is solar failing to solve Africa's energy crisis?
03:18Let's go to the other side of the continent to look for answers.
03:24In southern Ethiopia, 552 farmers are harvesting fresh vegetables.
03:31The pumps bringing groundwater for the fields are powered by solar panels.
03:35A first in a country where 45% of the population still lacks access to electricity.
03:45Until now, farmers in Doribafano, in southern Ethiopia, mainly grow maids and sorghum.
03:51But thanks to this solar project, low-cost irrigation throughout the year means they can try new
03:56crops.
03:57An idea that appeals especially to young farmers, such as Daniel Milkes.
04:16The government built this solar system to supply power to farmers, who contribute more
04:18as service to the farmers.
04:23The government built this solar system to supply power to farmers, who contribute more
04:31as service to help keep it running.
04:34Ethiopia relies heavily on low-cost hydropower from the Nile River.
04:40But that electricity mainly benefits people and businesses connected to the national grid.
04:45So how can the country reach its roughly 17 million smallholder farmers, who produce around
04:5190% of Ethiopia's food?
04:55The government is now trying to diversify the country's energy supply.
05:00And it wants more of the solar industry to remain inside Ethiopia.
05:05Five major Asian manufacturers have agreed to build solar factories in the country.
05:10It's a targeted operation.
05:12That's why they are currently operating in Ethiopia.
05:15Almost 80% of this total population currently lives in the rural part of the country.
05:20So reaching out the electricity to this rural community is time consuming, time consuming
05:28as well as costly.
05:29So the plan is to produce those solar cells and panels here in Ethiopia and create a community
05:37of off-grid society.
05:40Local production could make solar cheaper.
05:44But cheaper technology does not always mean cheaper electricity, as our next top shows.
05:51Most of Kenya's electricity comes from renewable sources led by geothermal power.
05:56Yet its electricity is among Africa's most expensive.
06:00One kilowatt hour costs around 20 euro cents, roughly 36 times the price in neighboring Ethiopia.
06:09Those high prices have created opportunities for a new generation of solar businesses.
06:15Kenyan start-up Socofresh provides solar-powered storage for farmers.
06:20Its cold rooms are essentially six meters containers with solar panels on top.
06:26Farmer Yvonne Anyoni grows herbs for the European market.
06:30They have to arrive fresh, otherwise their value quickly drops.
06:35The region where I'm operating, it's so hot.
06:37So there's a lot of sunshine.
06:39So I mean, instead of letting it go to waste, why don't we harvest it and be able to come
06:43up with a lot of production?
06:45She now grows more than 20 herbs, including thyme, mint and rosemary.
06:50Kenya loses up to 40% of its food between farm and plate.
06:55Cooling, poor storage and transports are main reasons.
06:58Socofresh now works with more than 20,000 farmers across Kenya, Madagascar and the Seychelles.
07:05Kenya is becoming a big solar market and attracting some major industry players.
07:11Multinational Sun King has opened a factory producing devices like solar-powered TVs and lights and offers repairing services.
07:19One of its most popular products is an off-grid solar system that powers lights and charges devices in homes
07:26and small businesses.
07:29The company says it has sold 7.3 million solar kits in Kenya and ships around 200,000 solar-powered
07:38televisions each year.
07:40James Kimani is among those who embrace the technology.
07:44He left the national grid and has relied on solar ever since.
07:49This is my sixth man without paying anything and I have constant supply of solar, lighting, Natomia TV throughout.
08:00Even in the cold weather, I'm still using daily and I'm very comfortable with it. I'm very happy.
08:09And it's not only households making the switch. Thika Cloth Mills, one of Kenya's oldest textile factories, is planning a
08:18major solar expansion that will cut its monthly electricity bill by over a third.
08:24So our bill would have been like 12 million a month. Because of putting in the solar, we have managed
08:31to contain that bill to 8.5 million a month.
08:34For Kenya's struggling textile industry, savings like this can make it easier to compete with cheap imports from Asia.
08:44The installation was financed by Aria Finergy, an aerobic company funding large-scale solar solutions.
08:51Finance is not optional. Finance is so important for the solar industry to grow, to unlock the solar potential.
08:59The cost of capital is 3 to 7 times more in Africa. And only 3% of solar financing actually
09:10gets to Africa.
09:12Kenya has potential for 15 gigawatts of solar, but it can only unlock that potential if we can source financing
09:22at better, smarter, cheaper rates.
09:24Africa has enormous solar potential, but receives only a tiny share of global solar investment.
09:31Unlocking that potential will require one thing Sanchon cannot provide, affordable finance.
09:40Back in Nigeria, one question remains. Who will make sure solar systems are installed safely?
09:46That responsibility lies with the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, NEMSA.
09:53Part of what NEMSA does is to certify electrical personnel.
09:57The installer is to inform NEMSA that I'm done with this. Please, could you come and certify?
10:03So, NEMSA will come. If NEMSA is called, NEMSA will come. Then we'll carry out inspection and test.
10:10But experts say enforcement remains weak. Poor data sharing, limited funding, and the continued use of unsertified electricians make it
10:19difficult to stop dangerous installations.
10:22We are trying to do a public awareness to let people know that before you call an installer that they
10:31have NEMSA certification so that we can do a follow-up and get to the root of the issue.
10:38Solar is safe, but it now depends on how it is installed and how it is utilized.
10:47But safe installation is only one part of the equation. As Nigeria's solar market grows, so will it waste.
10:55What happens when millions of panels, batteries, and other electronic components reach the end of their lives?
11:04Nigeria has strong demand for affordable electronics, but many components must still be imported.
11:11Quadloop is trying a different approach, turning electronic waste into solar lanterns.
11:17Old laptop batteries, wires, screws, and discarded screens get a second life, instead of becoming an environmental hazard.
11:25We saw this battery as a waste product. Then we now recharge it, then select those ones that are good,
11:34that are good to repurpose it for our own products.
11:39This one, we put it in a machine that will convert it into this particular shape.
11:49So this now serves as the cover for our own lamp. So at the end of the day, we have
11:55something like this.
11:58Africa's solar boom is about more than generating electricity.
12:04From irrigation in Ethiopia to cooling crops in Kenya and recycling in west in Nigeria, Africa saw its fastest solar
12:13growth yet in 2025.
12:17But the next phase will depend on more than sunshine.
12:22Quality equipment, trained technicians, affordable finance, and proper recycling will determine whether this boom can last.
12:30But with those elements in place, solar could help build a cleaner and more resilient energy future.
12:40Now for something else you can do with sunshine. You can bake bread.
12:47But baking is one of humanity's oldest skills.
12:50But in Lesotho, one man is doing it in ways that look more science fiction than Stone Age.
12:57And best of all, he can keep his business running, even if there's a power failure.
13:05Karobo Matsumai is creating something truly special.
13:08Bread baked entirely with the power of the sun.
13:11It's not made with a regular oven, not even solar panels.
13:15Instead, he uses this curved mirror.
13:18It's a solar parabolic cooker.
13:20The mirror bundles the sun's heat and reflects it on an iron tube, which absorbs it.
13:26Inside the solar cooker's tube, temperatures can go as high as 400 degrees Celsius.
13:34The mirror needs to be adjusted frequently to follow the sun.
13:38And if it's done correctly, the cooker is very efficient.
13:42On a sunny day, Karobo bakes over 20 loaves of bread.
13:46He also uses a solar oven to cook things.
13:49A simple insulated box with a mirror directing sunlight and trapping heat inside.
13:55Producing temperatures of around 150 degrees.
13:59Lesotho is blessed with over 300 days of sunshine a year.
14:04And in poor weather, Karobo can still use his stove indoors.
14:09During his training and studies, the innovative baker specialised in food science and solar technology.
14:16Skills he now brings together in a unique way.
14:19I love cooking. That's the first thing.
14:22And the other thing why I choose solar is because now the world is shifting to the power of solar
14:28technology.
14:29Because I wanted to take part and contribute in helping the world to shift to renewable energy.
14:35Around the world, up to 2.3 billion people still lack access to modern or clean cooking options.
14:42And rely on wood, kerosene or coal as cooking fuels.
14:47But firewood and charcoal can accelerate deforestation.
14:50And when they are burned, they release soot, CO2 and other greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming.
14:58And there's a huge health risk too.
15:00The WHO estimates that 3 to 4 million people die prematurely each year from the effects of air pollution from
15:08indoor cooking.
15:09The Walker Solar Bakery has been running since 2023.
15:13And business is thriving.
15:15Just two years after opening, Karobo Motsamai won Le Soto's Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.
15:21I wanted to make something for myself.
15:25And I was passionate about starting the business.
15:28That's why I started solar bakery.
15:31I didn't have enough capital to study a bakery.
15:35So I used my skills to make this kind of machines to make my bakery work.
15:43And again to come up with a different way of doing business.
15:49Over 40% of the population of Le Soto are aged 15 to 35.
15:54And according to the World Bank, one in four are unemployed.
15:59Now Karobo has started training others to become solar bakers too.
16:03His bid to help reduce the country's unemployment levels.
16:07Karobo Motsamai's solar bakery not only creates new jobs.
16:11It shows how a simple technology can cut emissions, save money and reduce toxic air pollution.
16:18Without the end product, losing any of its much treasured flavour.
16:25From one inventor to another, we are heading to Tanzania for the next report.
16:31Masood Kimpania has made a huge name for himself in the country and beyond with his political cartoons and journalism.
16:39Now he has decided to do his bit towards fixing traffic pollution in his country with another handmade project.
16:50This is Tanzania's first hand-built and domestically designed electric vehicle.
16:57Tired of soaring fuel prices and worsening air pollution?
17:01Political cartoonist Masood Kimpania decided to act.
17:04He is known in Tanzania for his sharp pen and often car-themed cartoons.
17:09But now, he is also known for designing cars.
17:13Masood Kimpania spent 11 months engineering and hand-building a compact electric pickup truck in a small workshop.
17:20The vehicle is tailored for low-income traders and delivery people who need affordable urban transport.
17:26Most components are locally sourced, though the batteries and motors are imported from China.
17:50The range of the car is up to 160 km with a fully charged battery.
17:55And the inventor says this home-designed truck is much cheaper than buying a comparable imported EV.
18:01There are over 5,000 electric vehicles like this three-wheeler on Tanzania's roads.
18:06That's the highest in East Africa.
18:08But there's still no public charging network.
18:11Most owners rely on standard home sockets, a challenge in a country where scheduled altages of power for maintenance still
18:18occur.
18:19Masood Kimpania is working on new designs.
18:21His next model is already under construction.
18:24And others keep coming in.
18:26There's even interest from Kenyan President William Ruto and the Kingdom of Iswatini.
18:31But the inventor has a bigger goal.
18:33Make EVs accessible to everyone.
18:36The people who want to take advantage of the world, who want to take advantage of the world.
18:43The people who want to take advantage of the world.
18:45But the people who want to take advantage of the world.
18:49You might be surprised to hear how this guy here is helping out the water over there.
18:56Now it is stopping riverbanks from eroding, improving water quality and providing shade that keeps marine life healthy.
19:05And that's not even all.
19:07Because protecting water often starts on land.
19:11We travel to Burundi next to see how communities are working to restore and protect these vital ecosystems.
19:21For the fishermen of Lake Nagitamo, heading out onto the water every day is a worthwhile experience again.
19:28Twenty years ago, fish stocks had dwindled to critically low levels, but are now gradually recovering.
19:51But, what had happened? Why had a fish disappeared in the first place?
19:55Twenty years ago, Lake Nagitamo was on the verge of drying up completely, just like nearby Lake Kakamerinda.
20:03Together, they form part of a vast wetland on the Burundi-Rwanda border comprising eight
20:08lakes in total and an array of swamps.
20:11But overfishing, deforestation and other human activity had led to a decline in biodiversity
20:17here.
20:20The sitatunga antelope is now under threat, as is the hippopotamus.
20:27Burundi is working to protect this fragile ecosystem, because once one lake starts to
20:32dry up, its neighbors will also be in danger.
20:36This lake is interconnected.
20:39When the lake Gatcha Melinda is aware of a problem, we are hoping that the other lakes
20:48are aware of the same problem, but we have intervened rapidly, and the lake has been established.
20:58The area taking in the lakes is home to around 45,000 people, whose livelihoods depend on both
21:04fishing and farming.
21:06Their fields used to extend right up to the water.
21:09Until 20 or so years ago, they would divert water directly to irrigate their fields during
21:15dry spells, effectively draining the lakes.
21:22Glorious Mukamwiza was among the farmers who used to grow crops on the shores of Lake Nagitamo.
21:46She now farms higher up on Gikoma Hill.
21:49During the current dry season, she has left her fields to help plant trees on the edge
21:53of Lake Gakamirinda.
21:55It's part of a program run by the NGO Enadis Formation Burundi to help restore and protect
22:01the lakes.
22:02According to the NGO, over 640,000 trees have been planted by the two lakes since 2005, belonging
22:11to one particular tropical species.
22:14Its scientific name is a bit complicated.
22:18Eskinomine Elafroxelon, but in Burundi, it is known as Umurera.
22:24The supplements are actually cuttings from the tree's branches.
22:45The aim is to replicate the success seen here with other lakes, like Lake Rewu, the largest
22:53of the eight protected lakes.
22:54The island of Ruyoka is next stop for the NGO.
22:59People settled here over 40 years ago, long before the lake became a protected area.
23:05Today, around 50 families live on the island, and that number is growing.
23:09In an effort to preserve the lake's ecosystem, in 2010, the environmental authorities offered
23:15residents fields on the mainland, but just five years later, they came back.
23:43Living their homes in fertile land for an uncertain future is a heavy price to pay, but there is
23:49another way.
23:50Around two smaller lakes, the NGO is helping farmers protect those ecosystems without abandoning
23:58their livelihoods.
23:58...
24:01...
24:17Some farmers, like Bernard Wittonze, took up the option of being assigned livestock as
24:22well.
24:23He has also been given training on how to make compost from crop residues and animal manure,
24:28which he uses as fertilizer, and to keep the soil moist during the dry season.
24:34Residents say the changes have improved their livelihoods, and helped nature recover too.
25:00The progress made has prompted Burundi to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the lake region,
25:07with high hopes that international recognition will attract greater support for its conservation efforts.
25:16You can find more stories on protecting water resources, electric mobility, and of course,
25:23solar power in our Echo Drop newsletter.
25:26It is bye for now.
25:30And if you have any ideas you want to share with us, we'd love to hear your suggestions.
25:36Just write to us at eco-at-dw.com.
25:40Thanks for watching this special 500 edition of EcoAfrica by Fenel.