MPower Ventures is advancing access to clean, reliable electricity in Africa by combining solar technology with innovative financing. Alongside serving SMEs, households, and commercial and industrial clients, MPower has pioneered EnergyHubs, which are solar-powered facilities designed to supply off-grid communities with electricity while enabling small businesses to thrive.
In Kanundwa, a rural village in southern Zambia, life without electricity meant limited economic opportunities. Families walked long distances for basic services like haircuts, refrigeration, or phone charging, while young people faced few job prospects. Without a stable power source, the local clinic also struggled, restricting essential medical services.
In 2023, MPower launched one of its first EnergyHubs after a successful pilot project to tackle this challenge. Solar panels now provide electricity to local institutions (such as health centres or schools), with surplus power fueling small businesses at the hub. Residents can access services such as hairdressing, sewing, welding, printing, refrigeration, internet, and clean water through water pumps directly in their community instead of traveling hours away. The hub operates on a profit-sharing model where entrepreneurs use the space without paying rent or upfront costs, removing barriers for those without starting capital. Instead, they split revenues with operators once they begin earning, ensuring both accessibility for users and financial sustainability for the hub. This approach has supported enterprises and social institutions such as health centres, as well as serving hundreds of individual users each month.
For Kanundwa’s youth, the impact is tangible. Seamster Vannie Mainza, who previously relied on a manual sewing machine at home, can now work faster and more efficiently with an electric machine provided by the EnergyHub. The income he earns contributes directly to his education. “With the electric sewing machine, I can finish more work, earn more, and save for school. The Hub has given me a future I didn’t see before.”
Barber Alex Bwembelo faced similar challenges. Without power in the village, customers once walked 15 kilometers just for a haircut. Today, he runs a steady business inside the EnergyHub. “Now I can serve people here in Kanundwa instead of watching them go elsewhere. The Hub gave me a stable job, and I can provide for my family.”
CEI Africa’s partnership has been catalytic in strengthening MPower’s overall growth and expansion. CEI Africa invested EUR 1.1 million in MPower Ventures, provided through a mix of equity and a subordinated loan, as part of a broader crowdlending round that also involved the platforms Klimja and Republic. This support is enabling MPower to expand its distributor network, diversify its product portfolio, and broaden its financing offerings.
Today, in addition to its core businesses, MPower operates 22 EnergyHubs in Zambia, with 10 more under construction, 2 in Togo, and 10 planned in Namibia. Across its portfolio, the company has sold more than 50,000 solar products and appliances across seven countries, targeting households, SMEs, and C&I clients in regions with unreliable or non-existent grid infrastructure. With CEI Africa’s support, MPower is accelerating its mission to deliver sustainable, affordable energy while powering small businesses and strengthening community resilience.