Nakabonye,70, from the Rusura Village in the Rulindo District, welcomes Ignite’s agents with her blue mask on, a big smile still noticeable. Her granddaughter is running around in the yard. "She can now do her homework after dark,” Nakabonye points out to her granddaughter.

 "Her grades have been constantly on the rise.” They got their solar home system in only 3 months ago, but change is already evident. I feel much safer in my home now,” she says.

Nakabonye’s story represents millions of households across rural Africa that have been connected to electricity in recent years through off-grid solar solutions. During the past month, Ignite’s agents visited various last-mile communities across Rwanda’s rural districts, gathering meaningful testimonials about life before and after gaining access to power. The impact is overwhelmingly positive.

Progress is significant but unequal across the world.

In the past decade, the world immensely progressed in electricity, as the number of people without access declined from 1.2 billion in 2010 to 768 million in 2021. But according to a UN-World Bank report, under current policies and with the massive effects of Covid-19, an estimated 660 million people would still lack access in 2030, most of them in Sub-Saharan Africa.

 Today, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia have the most significant electricity access deficits globally. Many countries in the region are working hard to change this predicament, with electrification agendas and strategies, private-public partnerships, and international development agencies working together to reach the coveted 100% access. To that end, off-grid solutions are a main course of action.

With vast geographical needs and an abundance of sunlight, sub-Saharan Africa has been increasingly adopting electrification through decentralized solar-based solutions in the past decade. The small systems are a perfect fit for the continent’s rural communities. They are much more affordable than grid connections, and they can be deployed anywhere, no matter how remote.

Across the continent, the number of people gaining electricity access each year almost tripled from 8 million between 2000 and 2013 to 24 million people between 2014 and 2019. Solar solutions have a significant role in the sector’s progress. Electricity access is finally being recognized as a leading necessity that is vastly influential on multiple elements of everyday lives and is essential for development across the continent.

More opportunities for a better tomorrow

"Before we used petrol, and it was risky, we worried because our neighbor’s house got burned,” says Ngirawonsanga Joseph, who lives with his wife and their 2 children in Kivomo. "Now we feel much safer.”

Living without electricity access, families in rural Sub-Saharan Africa use kerosene torches, candles, and other hazardous fuels for lighting, cooking, and heating purposes, often done through indoor open fires.

 Fire and smoke contribute to high mortality and disease rates, as homes can be easily burnt to the ground. In recent interviews by SolarAid, an NGO in rural Zambia, almost a third said they either knew someone or had themselves experienced an accident in their home due to the use of candles, fires, or kerosene lamps.

The smoke is also hazardous, leading to various diseases, including pneumonia and lung cancer. Across the region, about 1 million mortalities a year are caused by smoke-related health issues. 92% of the surveyed people said they now feel safer in their homes.

The use of hazardous fuels goes way beyond the home. About 730 million tons of biomass are burned for energy each year in developing countries, releasing as much as 1 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. In addition, open fires emit high concentrations of black carbon and methane, with significant climate consequences. According to GOGLA, one solar light averts an estimated 555kg of CO2 each year, a considerable amount when discussing billions of lights to be used in the future, when Africa becomes the most populated continent.

Having light and electricity is a significant factor in household income, providing various opportunities for increasing earnings and saving up to 90% on previous energy-related expenditures. "Now, with the added time, we are making artifacts and selling them at the village cooperative,” says Mukahigiro, 62, from Kivomo. "We are making more and have more to spend on food.”

Smallholder farmers represent a large share of the people purchasing solar home systems in the rural parts of the country, and the light is helping them with their work at home. "We used to bring Casava to clean inside the home and had to finish before nightfall,” says Maria, 53, from Kabunjwiri, "now we can continue after dark.” The added time to sort outcrops leads to more products for sale, higher income, higher food security, and more business opportunities. 80% of those surveyed said their income increased. According to McKinsey, more than 60% of SSA’s working population are smallholder farmers, and the added working hours can lead to a better future for millions, both directly and indirectly.

Education is another critical element highly impacted by solar systems. Children can learn and do their homework after dark with light in their homes, opening up a whole new world of educational possibilities. "My kids are getting better grades now because they have more hours of light to study .”Says Claude, 36, from Ngando. "Their motivation is higher, making them happier to go to school .”Not only kids are using the extra time to educate themselves. Older people are happy to use the light to learn new skills such as crafting and weaving baskets. "We started crafting shapes, gaseke, selling them in the local market,” says Berenadeta, 46.

As off-grid solar solutions become widespread, empirical evidence of their impact increases, showing low-income households can highly benefit from the solar system through financial savings and the availability of better quality light. Health, education, safety, income, and a sense of motivation are all evidently higher, showcasing the significant effects that a simple lightbulb can have. Alongside private companies and development organizations, governments across the continent should boost their efforts in reaching 100% access. It is a simple, affordable, scalable way to establish an inclusive future for all.

The writer is an entrepreneur and investor,leading sustainability-driven companies in Africa and the Middle East