News and views

BITC award video

SolarAid is extremely proud that our social enterprise, SunnyMoney, has won the Unilever Global Development Award at the 2017 Responsible Business Awards. Below you will find the video which accompanied our application, which explains what SunnyMoney does out in Africa. This award is a huge accolade for all the staff of SunnyMoney in Uganda, Zambia and Malawi who spend […]

Women in solar – Susan the Super Agent

Susan, from Yumbe District in Uganda, is a mother and wife who has raised five school children with her husband Nixon. She spends her days teaching students at a Secondary School in Moyo and her evenings working on her farm and business, but now she is a SunnyMoney agent too. Susan heard about SunnyMoney when she attended a […]

SunnyMoney named as Finalist for the Unilever Global Development Award

You may have seen our recent blog about becoming shortlisted for the Unilever Global Development Award as part of the 2017 Responsible Business Awards. Today SunnyMoney has been announced as finalists for the award for the second time in three years. Now in their 20th year, the Responsible Business Awards champion inspiring businesses who are making a difference by taking action to […]

A letter from Nancy in Zambia

Hello, I’m Nancy from the SunnyMoney Zambia office. You last heard from me in December 2015 when I wrote to share news of how my home country was in crisis due to droughts. Your response was incredible and we were able to continue our work selling affordable solar lights in rural areas in those harsh […]

Record UK solar energy generation lights up the African night

  LONDON, 21 June: As solar panels break records for UK electricity generation in May and June, the company that has installed the biggest share of them, Solarcentury, has worked out how to use the panels to light up African homes, as well as British ones. Solarcentury does this by donating 5% of its annual profits […]

SunnyMoney Malawi radio adverts

  We are very proud to share the following recording of our latest radio adverts which will be used to promote our SM100 solar lights in Malawi. The advert features the voice of SunnyMoney’s super-salesman, Brave Mhonie and the superb singing of SunnyMoney’s very own Donnex Muva in the background – here’s hoping this is heard across […]

Big Clive reviews the SM100

The infamous Big Clive from YouTube’s “un-boxing” craze has finally got his hands on an SM100 and, as is his want, taken the little solar light to pieces. SolarAid would like to point out that: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you ever, EVER, take the SM100 to bits. There’s a very good reason for this; mainly […]

SunnyMoney Malawi wins National Energy Globe Award

We are excited to announce that our SunnyMoney Malawi initiative has won the Energy Globe National Award! The Award recognises SunnyMoney Malawi’s creative distribution model and innovation through offering the world’s most affordable solar light, the SM100, and through pioneering pay-as-you-go (PAYG) ownership schemes for affordable solar lights; breaking down the affordability barrier for families […]

Solar lighting: the affordability issue

SolarAid and Yingli Green Energy first joined forces to try and deliver the most affordable solar light to Africa in 2014. SolarAid’s feedback from the field, based on many thousands of interview interactions, was that low cost was the single most important consideration for potential buyers. There were also other important considerations, all of which […]