LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
Salpha Energy, a Nigerian renewable energy company bringing solar power to Africa’s underserved homes and businesses
Sandra Chukwudozie is the CEO and Founder of Salpha Energy, a Nigerian-based leading technology-enabled renewable energy company that provides stand-alone solar home systems to homes and businesses in off-grid areas in Africa. She started the business in 2017 and today it employs 30 people. Salpha Energy develops, produces, distributes and finances a range of solar home system products, from entry-level to large productive use systems. It provides a broad range of products aimed at the consumer market and small entrepreneurial businesses. The African energy market is bottom-heavy, so Sandra’s business strategy is to bring the underserved and unserved homes and businesses in rural and urban areas into and up the energy ladder.
Lioness Weekender spoke to renewable energy champion, Sandra Chukwudozie, this month to learn about her vision and drive to make a difference to the continent’s energy poor people.
What inspired you to start your company?
The driving force behind founding Salpha was the belief that the over 600 million people, half of the world's energy poor that reside in Sub- Saharan Africa, of whom the poorest are women, deserve access to clean and affordable energy. I also wanted to channel the energy, passion and intelligence of the youth across the African continent towards accelerating access to clean energy.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
One of the challenges that has plagued the solar energy industry in Africa is the influx of cheap and substandard products. Salpha strives to make safe, affordable, and durable products the default option in the market. Salpha builds upon the strong foundation for quality assurance that encompasses solar appliances and productive use equipment laid by the World Bank Group, in this regard our products are certified under the VeraSol Global Quality Assurance Framework. Thereby ensuring that our products have a lasting impact on off-grid communities by selecting products that meet consumers’ needs.
Tell us a little about your team
One of my main priorities as CEO is curating a compelling organisational culture aimed at energizing the company and creating an atmosphere of comradery and professionalism. Salpha is a team of Alphas that are driven for impact. Vibrant, enthusiastic and passionate young people who want to make a difference are at the forefront of this organization.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
On a personal level, I grew up watching my entrepreneurial parents grow the family business into a conglomerate spanning various sectors including Oil and Gas, Manufacturing and Real Estate. Naturally, growing up in such a household inspired me and instilled considerable pro-business values in me, helping me realize that through our commercial endeavours, we can very much have a positive influence on other people’s lives.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
There is an urgency to expand and reach the current energy poor in Africa with clean and affordable energy. Our audacious target at Salpha is to provide 30 million people across the African continent with access to clean energy by 2030. The journey to achieving this feat will involve regional expansion plans to include more countries across western, eastern, and southern Africa; plus hiring the right team and global partnerships across the value chain. I am proud to contribute towards creating products and building the next generation of Africans ushering in a fresh paradigm to the challenges of energy access in Africa.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
The freedom that comes with doing what I love. Contributing meaningfully to solve one of the world’s pressing issues, whilst creating job opportunities.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Always follow your authentic path and be passionate about what you do. Passion will keep you steadfast when the road gets tough.
"There is no passion to be found playing small--in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." Harriet Tubman.
To find out more about Sandra Chukwudozie’s mission, vision and the work of Salpha Energy in more detail, send her an email: sandra@salphaenergy.com or visit the company’s website and social media platforms:
