Gaborone – A South African solar power equipment manufacturer, Specialised Solar Systems, has announced plans to invest R10 million in the development of a solar products factory and a marketing and services office in the Zambian capital Lusaka.
Once opened, the Zambian factory will be the company’s sixth branch outside South Africa after successfully establishing in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ghana, South Sudan and Botswana over the past few years.
In an interview with the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper, Specialised Solar Systems assistant general manager Okie Van Zyl said the company’s move to Zambia was aimed at meeting the country’s high demand for solar power equipment.
“Within the next two to three months, Specilalised Solar Systems, which is based in South Africa, intends to open a branch in Zambia with an initial investment of about R10 million.
“We want to bring light to Africa and our focus is on rural development, especially those areas which are off the national grid. There are over eight million people on the African continent who do not have access to power, and many will never see electricity connected to their houses anytime soon,” van Zyl said.
He said in expanding to Zambia, the company wanted to take advantage of the power crisis facing the African continent. He said Zambia offered great investment opportunities in the area of solar power, but lacks the manpower to support the development of the sector.
African News Agency