Executive Brief Fall 2008

Fall  2008  

The Executive Update is a briefing on the latest developments in the Lighting Africa project, and is provided to all organizations and individuals participating in the Lighting Africa consortium. For comments, questions, or suggestions, please contact the Lighting Africa project team at support@lightingafrica.org 

First results from market research studies available on website. In response to the industry’s call to provide greater comprehension to the scope of the emergent market opportunity for off-grid lighting in Africa, we have undertaken comprehensive market research studies of households and small businesses in Ghana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia. The reports, covering both qualitative and quantitative assessments of consumer needs, preferences and finances are now available on our website. A third research phase, involving in-depth product testing by consumers is being currently being conducted with results expected in early 2009. 

Lighting Africa to launch new upgraded website. Lighting Africa has been updating its website to make the site more interactive and dynamic. For example, the site will offer an upgraded Business Opportunities forum with advanced search functions, new discussion forums on topics ranging from quality assurance to sustainability issues, and dynamically updated news and events sections. Moreover, participating organizations will have the opportunity to edit and expand their online profiles to market their organizations to Lighting Africa members, e.g. by displaying product catalogs and other marketing materials. The launch of this new website is scheduled this winter. Stay posted! 

Lighting Africa to map the value chain for off-grid lighting products, recruit local distributors and develop “Doing Lighting Business” country profiles. In order to identify opportunities for streamlining the distribution chain and providing companies with valuable information on African lighting markets, the project is in the process of recruiting a firm to conduct the following tasks:

(i)             Map the value chain of off-grid lighting products to identify key players and analyze price and costs build-up to identify potentials for streamlining;

(ii)            Conduct an active outreach campaign to identify and recruit traditional and non-traditional distributors like electronics shops, kerosene suppliers, NGOs, farmers associations and microfinance associations; and

(iii)           Develop “Doing Lighting Business” country profiles that provide companies and organizations interested in entering the lighting markets in Africa with up-to-date information, including regulatory environments, taxes and tariffs, estimates on market size, and contact information of key stakeholders. Initially, this work will cover 7 African countries, including Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania, Senegal and Rwanda. Results of this work will be made available to the Lighting Africa members as they become available throughout fall and winter 2008/09. 

Dealing with policy and regulatory barriers.  In order to address the numerous regulatory and policy barriers that were articulated forcefully during the Lighting Africa 2008 business conference in Accra, Lighting Africa is launching a multi-country policy program. The program is designed to map and analyze policy and regulatory barriers (e.g. taxes, import restrictions), the results of which would be used for a policy dialogue with the respective Governments aimed at improving business environments. The work will be piloted in Kenya and Ghana with additional work planned to follow shortly in Rwanda, Ethiopia and Senegal.