Social impact investor Oikocredit has agreed a credit line of US$ 2 million for RDG Collective, a provider of pay-as-you-go off-grid solar solutions in Zambia, bringing access to electricity to underserved households.
With Oikocredit's support, RDG Collective will be able to offer an estimated 12,500 low-income Zambians both access to clean energy and a path to ownership of off-grid solar products that can be extended to fit users' growing energy needs. Access to renewable electricity and productive-use-of-energy (PUE) appliances will support households in improving their living standards, increasing their earning potential and achieving lives of greater dignity.
Since its inception, RDG Collective has pioneered and provided solar energy solutions for low-income communities. It has sold more than 20,000 energy devices to date, helping improve the lives of more than 100,000 people with clean energy access and providing more than 300 people with meaningful economic opportunities by employing them as agents.
Rune Dige, founder and CEO of RDG Collective, said: “We are enormously proud to be partnering with Oikocredit. Oikocredit’s experience and support will help scale RDG’s distribution of life-changing PUE appliances and solidify our position as Zambia’s premium off-grid solar distributor.”
Siebren Wilschut, Senior Investment Officer at Oikocredit, said: “We're very pleased to support RDG Collective in its expansion to provide greater access to clean energy across Zambia. And we're proud to partner with such an impactful enterprise, and to support it in achieving even more by helping low-income people become healthier, improve their livelihoods and be better connected.”