Jobs at Voya Sol

The problem we are trying to solve is the low levels of urban electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa. The lack of electricity in these areas has multifaceted consequences: kerosene dependence poses serious health and fire hazards, children’s study hours are heavily limited, and economic development possibilities are hindered by the absence of power for light and devices. The current options are inadequate. Plans for grid extension to slum areas are perpetually in gridlock due to political stigma and power theft concerns. As for rural communities, the cost of expanding the grid to these areas is prohibitively expensive. Solar home systems (SHSs), predominantly pay-as-you-go systems, are expensive (approx. US$5/kwh) and often require rigorous financing checks that are difficult to clear for individuals lacking credit histories. Voya Sol hopes to enter these unaddressed markets and provide electricity to those who need it. Our first cohort of target customers are off-grid households and communities in Zimbabwe’s urban slum and rural areas. Statistics reveal a huge market potential in the energy access space in Zimbabwe. The electrification rate in Zimbabwe remains low at 32.3%, with rural and urban electrification rates at 9.8% and 83.4% respectively. A third of the Zimbabwean population resides in urban areas, and a quarter of urban residents live in urban slum communities with inadequate basic services. (World Bank).