WidEnergy Africa | Mobile for Development
The GSMA Innovation Fund WidEnergy Africa

WidEnergy Africa

Zambia | Digital Inclusion

The company

WidEnergy provides last-mile delivery of clean, reliable and affordable energy and connectivity solutions, as well as affordable access to mobile phones.

Problem

In Zambia, the main barriers to mobile internet use are a lack of digital skills and accessible and affordable smartphones and data. Among rural and peri-urban populations, mobile internet adoption was 10% in mid-2019, which is considerably lower than the national average of 24%. There is also a mobile gender gap, particularly in rural areas, which must also be addressed.

GSMA project

In March 2021, WidEnergy received a GSMA grant to offer PAYG smartphones to their solar home systems (SHS) customers who had demonstrated a good track record with payments, ensuring that reliable customers had access to affordable mobile technology.

Outcomes

As of September 2023, 46% of users self-reported being new mobile internet users because of the smartphones they purchased from WidEnergy.

Traction

As of March 2024, 1,306 customers purchased the smartphone product, including 470 women.

A message from the founder

“At WidEnergy Africa, we believe in gender equality. Our partnership with the GSMA Innovation Fund has allowed us to connect the underserved and the many Zambians to whom internet was up until now, a thing out of their reach.”

– Liliane Munezero Ndabaneze, CEO, WidEnergy Africa Ltd.

Founder
A woman with braided hair, wearing a dark blazer over a red top, stands smiling in front of a distressed turquoise door with a brick wall background. She is wearing earrings and a necklace, and her teeth are clearly visible.

Liliane Ndabaneze

A man with a serious expression, wearing a blue suit, light blue shirt, and black tie, stands in front of a plain beige background. He is bald and has a medium build. He is looking directly at the camera. A group of people are posing outdoors under trees, some standing and others sitting on grass. They are wearing matching T-shirts in green and orange. The background features a variety of trees, including palm trees. A group of eleven people poses together outdoors, all wearing white shirts and white caps with a logo. They appear to be part of a team or organization, standing in two rows, smiling at the camera. Trees and other people are visible in the background.

Team | 11–50 employees

A group of eleven people poses together outdoors, all wearing white shirts and white caps with a logo. They appear to be part of a team or organization, standing in two rows, smiling at the camera. Trees and other people are visible in the background.

Grant status
Completed
Themes
The GSMA Innovation Fund for Mobile Internet Adoption and Digital Inclusion
Donor(s)
SDGs impacted
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Reduced Inequalities
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