600 million Africans currently live without electricity. To address this challenge, Sun King is stepping up its efforts to offer its solar-powered products to as many people as possible, from its recent $40 million fundraising campaign to the opening of a factory in Kenya designed to produce 700,000 devices per year, as well as increasing the number of points of sale. In line with its mission, Sun King has unveiled a new range of products focused on improving everyday life.
A smartphone for 40 cents a day
First, the American company unveiled the Sun King EZ 1, its first smartphone designed for the African market and assembled on the continent, available from 40 cents a day. The smartphone economy in Africa is growing rapidly. All activities related to the sector (device sales, telecom subscriptions, digital services) accounted for approximately 7% of the continent's GDP in 2023 ($140 billion) and could reach $170 billion by 2030. However, access to smartphones remains very uneven. For millions of people, the main barrier to the connected world is not access to the internet or the availability of mobile networks, but the cost of purchasing a smartphone.
" For years, our customers have been asking us to design a smartphone," said T. Patrick Walsh, CEO and co-founder of Sun King. "Our solar systems already power phones from other brands, but for too many families, the device itself remains unaffordable. With the EZ 1, we are applying the same approach to connectivity that we developed for energy access."
The EZ 1 Android smartphone is designed to operate in off-grid environments or those powered by unstable networks. It is assembled in Africa, at Sun King's production facility in Kiambu County, Kenya.
Making refrigerators accessible
More than a billion people worldwide do not have access to reliable refrigeration, which greatly undermines food security, small business productivity, and health services. And when refrigeration solutions do exist, they often rely on expensive and polluting diesel or gasoline generators. Sun King aims to solve this problem with PowerFreeze, its first refrigerator-freezer. This new product runs on solar energy and a built-in battery, eliminating the need for grid connection or generators, as well as fuel costs and the risks associated with power outages.
"PowerFreeze has already proven its value to food vendors and households in Nigeria who use it—especially those facing food losses due to power grid instability. For small businesses, avoiding the use of diesel generators significantly improves margins. For families, it means less food waste and more predictable household expenses," said Anish Thakkar, co-founder of Sun King.
Making cooking less polluting and more accessible
Since 2023, Sun King has also been perfecting a range of cooking technologies and fuel distribution services called EasyCook. This program combines modern cooking equipment with flexible payments and a reliable fuel supply, enabling households to switch from wood and coal without incurring high upfront costs.
Sun King's smart liquefied petroleum gas cooking systems incorporate meters compatible with pay-as-you-go payment, allowing families to pay for their gas consumption gradually, as they would for coal or firewood. The system monitors consumption, anticipates low fuel levels, and triggers timely replacements, ensuring reliable and secure access to clean, modern fuels, including in rural areas.
"Feedback from customers in Kenya is clear: they appreciate the convenience, reliability, time savings, and health and safety benefits of switching from wood and charcoal. This is what motivates our decision to accelerate the rollout of clean cooking in Kenya, with the goal of gradually expanding to other markets," concludes Mark O'Keefe, Director of Cooking Products at Sun King.
40,000 jobs created
Since its creation 15 years ago, Sun King has deployed its products in 26.2 million households across 46 countries. To support its growth, the company has created 40,000 jobs, including 37,000 dedicated to the installation, sale, and repair of equipment. It is also committed to diversity, with 43% of its field agents being women. Sun King employees speak more than 62 languages, reflecting the company's global presence and its ambition to continue its development to provide clean energy to 200 million Africans by 2030.
