Kawaida Collaborative
Description
Kawaida Collaborative supplies, installs, manufactures, and maintains Solar Decentralized Renewable Energy (DRE) technologies for productive use by smallholder farmers involved in the production of high-value agro-produce in Zambia, therefore integrating renewable energy and agriculture. The company is also licensed to market and distribute agro-chemicals and materials. Kawaida’s business portfolio has since 2017 grown to include consulting and advisory services and commodity trading in the agriculture sector
Market Opportunity/ Problem
Access to affordable, reliable, and clean energy is one of the largest challenges for almost 2.3 million smallholder farmers in Zambia. The development of agri-food value chains has also been constrained by the lack of access to energy-efficient agro-equipment and restricted energy access for use in the production and processing of food due to load-shedding and sporadic power outages. Over 90% of farmers connected to the utility grid heavily rely on diesel-powered gensets. Kawaida Energy addresses these challenges by deploying DRE technologies and solutions to smallholder farmers by using solar as a clean source of energy to sustainably boost agricultural production, thereby enhancing food security and nutrition in the country.
Company Information
Years of operation
4
Type of organization
Private company
Stage of the business
Early stage/ Startup
Agribusiness focus
Other
Agriculture value chain(s) focus?
Ag-related energy
Primary country of operation
Zambia
Other country(ies) of operation
South Africa and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
How many employees does your business have?
7
Does the business have more than 30% women ownership?
Yes
Does the business have more than 30% youth ownership (under 35 years)?
No
Financing and expansion overview
How much capital is the company currently fundraising (US$)?
500k-1m
What is the split between equity and debt?
60% equity and 40% mezzanine debt