In Burkina Faso, access to electricity and water in rural areas remains a major challenge, with a rural electrification rate struggling to exceed 5%. A pioneer of solar solutions serving rural communities, SOLAFRIQUE joins the Néré Capital portfolio under the I&P Digital Energy (IPDE) programme. This partnership opens a new stage in the company’s development, with the ambition of extending its solar mini-grid infrastructure and strengthening its agricultural irrigation model for the benefit of the most vulnerable populations.

From a personal conviction to a reference company in rural solar

SOLAFRIQUE’s story begins in 2014, with an initiative led by Ernest ASSO. An engineer specialised in solar pumping systems, trained in Switzerland, Germany and France, he noticed that farmers were forced to abandon their land for lack of irrigation, children were studying by the light of kerosene lamps, and businesses were held back by limited access to electricity.

Behind this initiative lies a conviction: in a Sahelian country where sunshine reaches nearly 3,000 hours per year, solar power is a lever of economic and social transformation for thousands of rural families left outside the national electricity grids.

It is from this conviction that SOLAFRIQUE was born. The company gradually specialised in the design and installation of automated solar irrigation systems, rural electrification through autonomous solar kits and community mini-grids, as well as training in renewable energy trades. It integrated innovative financing models such as Pay-As-You-Go (PayG) and Pay-As-You-Use (PayU), allowing households and farmers to access energy without an initial financial barrier.

In 2021, the arrival of Henri Lüthi Studer, a Swiss investor specialised in renewable energies, marked a strategic turning point. His commitment enabled the financing and implementation of the Wapassi solar mini-grid as well as the Solar Village, pioneering infrastructure that embody SOLAFRIQUE’s vision.

The company’s results testify to significant performances. According to data presented by SOLAFRIQUE, the company has already installed more than 850 solar boreholes, irrigated more than 246 hectares and directly impacted more than 4,000 beneficiaries. Its 55 kW Wapassi mini-grid supplies electricity to around one hundred households and drinking water to more than 200 families. In 2024, despite a difficult economic and security context, the company generated revenue of 291 million FCFA, with a net result of more than 11 million FCFA. The company today employs 34 permanent staff.

Support to scale up

SOLAFRIQUE’s entry into the Néré Capital portfolio, under the I&P Digital Energy programme, comes at a major moment in its development.

The aim is to enable the company to consolidate its foundations and take a new step in scaling up. The support will cover several dimensions.

• First, the extension of energy infrastructure. SOLAFRIQUE plans to install 150 kWp of solar power with 270 kWh of storage, split between the extension of the Wapassi mini-grid, on the outskirts of Ouagadougou, and the creation of a new mini-grid in Namogo, in the south of Burkina Faso. This infrastructure will electrify 750 direct beneficiaries, with a multiplier effect reaching more than 10,000 people, taking into account the average size of families and the agricultural workers employed on the irrigated farms.
• Next, organisational and digital strengthening. The support will make it possible to formalise internal processes, strengthen the capacities of middle management in accounting management and human resources, and integrate digital solutions for real-time monitoring of installations and smart management of energy distribution. The company also plans to recruit a collections officer and strengthen its technical team.
• Finally, financial structuring. The support will aim to improve treasury monitoring, develop a customer receivables management policy — particularly for the PayG and PayU models — and seek alternative financing solutions from banks and microfinance institutions, in order to reduce dependence on shareholders’ current-account contributions.

Energy innovation in the service of rural resilience

Beyond the support, this partnership reflects a shared vision of tomorrow’s energy.

In the rural territories of Burkina Faso, where only 5% of the population has access to electricity, energy solutions must be able to combine financial accessibility, productive performance and economic viability.

This is precisely the ground on which SOLAFRIQUE intends to position itself. By replacing thermal generators with solar installations, each project avoids 0.5 to 1 tonne of CO₂ per year, i.e. a total estimated reduction of between 130 and 260 tonnes of CO₂. Solar irrigation systems also promote climate-resilient agriculture, reducing dependence on fossil energies and the high costs linked to traditional irrigation.

Beyond access to energy, SOLAFRIQUE’s impact extends to access to drinking water, food security, education and the growth of local economic activities. Each mini-grid becomes a development pole around which shops, crafts and farms are organised.

For Néré Capital, supporting SOLAFRIQUE is part of a broader approach: identifying and supporting companies capable of turning environmental challenges into lasting economic and social opportunities, while strengthening the resilience of rural communities to the effects of climate change.

A new stage for SOLAFRIQUE

After more than ten years of experimentation and development in the field, SOLAFRIQUE is today entering a new phase of its history.

The support of Néré Capital and the I&P Digital Energy programme should enable it to extend its electrification capacity, structure its growth and accelerate the deployment of its solutions. The company ambitions to reach 10,000 beneficiaries by 2030, thereby consolidating its role as a leader in sustainable energy and agricultural solutions in Burkina Faso.

Through this partnership, Néré Capital reaffirms its determination to invest in innovative companies whose models help build more resilient economies and a more sustainable future.

About I&P Digital Energy (IPDE)

I&P Digital Energy is an investment and support programme dedicated to African SMEs and startups engaged in energy access and the energy transition. The programme offers repayable financing as well as strategic and technical support designed to help companies structure their growth and maximise their impact.

The programme is carried by I&P, in partnership with Néré Capital, Comoé Capital and Teranga Capital. It targets companies active in energy access, rural electrification, energy efficiency and decentralised energy solutions.

Links
Website: solafrique.org
LinkedIn: solafrique