Togo’s CIZO initiative made a significant stride forward as BBOXXofficially launched its operations in Togo. President Faure Gnassingbé, President of Togo, visited one of BBOXX’s first customers in the rural town of Awagomè, to mark the start of the company’s roll out of its smart solar home systems.
Following a tender process, BBOXX was awarded a contract to work with the government of Togo to roll out 300,000 of its solar home systems in the country by 2022. The company has already imported its products and will begin selling its systems in people’s homes immediately, with an initial target of installing 10,000 in the next 12 months.
The innovative partnership is part of the government’s aim to dramatically improve access to electricity for people in Togo, particularly in rural areas. The mission of CIZO is to bring electricity to more than two million citizens by 2022. It will also provide the adoption of mobile payment solutions across rural areas, helping to improve the financial inclusion of rural communities.
BBOXX will work with La Poste, the largest distribution network in the country, to sell and distribute its solar home systems and other small electrical goods, such as televisions and radios. BBOXX will also be opening shops within La Poste’s locations.
BBOXX’s operations in Togo have been in part financed by capital raised via Union Togolaise de Banque, a local bank.
BBOXX customers will be able to pay for their solar system usage in a “pay-as-you-go” fashion, using mobile payments solutions such as TMoney or Flooz. They will also have access to BBOXX’s proactive customer service, which through remote monitoring solves issues such as battery depletion before they become a problem for customers.