Nthabiseng Mosia

Mosia is a South African-Ghanaian entrepreneur and co-founder of the Sierra Leone–based solar energy company Easy Solar.[1]

Early life and education

Mosia was born in Ghana, later moving to South Africa. As a teenager she occasionally experienced blackouts due to unreliable supply of electricity, which first sparked her interest in energy.[2][3] Mosia gained a Bachelor of Business Science in Finance and Economics from the University of Cape Town, graduating with first class honors and distinction, subsequently working as a management consultant across Africa.[4][5][6] In 2016 she studied for a Master's degree focused on Clean Energy Finance and Policy at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, where she met her co-founders of Easy Solar, Eric Silverman and Alexandre Tourre.[2][3][5][7]

Career

Mosia and her co-founders conceived of the idea for providing reliable and affordable electricity to households underserved by the grid in West Africa, during their graduate studies. Together they won major funding for the project from competitions and hackathons in the US, such as the D-Prize in 2015 and the Columbia Venture Competition 2016. Initial funding allowed Mosia and her colleagues to conduct a survey of energy availability across 1,500 Sierra Leonean households.[2]

Easy Solar, trading internationally as Azimuth, was created in 2016 as a commercial initiative to extend the reach of high-quality solar energy devices (such as lanterns and home systems) across under-provided Sierra Leone.[3][8] The company offers financial initiatives, such as rent-to-own, on a pay-as-you-go basis to help poorer households afford their own solar panels.[3][9][10]

Studies indicate that as few as one in a hundred rural households in Sierra Leone have access to electricity. Since the company was established Easy Solar claims to have provided 30,000 households with electricity.[3][4][10] The company plans to expand the business soon into neighbouring Liberia and Guinea.[4][11]

Mosia is also an advocate for expanding opportunities for African women.[3][12]

Recognition

References
  1. "Easy Solar". www.easysolar.sl. Archived from the original on 30 April 2017.
  2. "Nthabiseng Mosia, an entrepreneur finding affordable clean energy solutions for Africa by harnessing the power of solar technology". Lionesses of Africa Website. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  3. Africa, Power (22 June 2018). "Nthabiseng Mosia". Medium. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  4. RAJGOPAUL, Dhivana (7 May 2018). "This SA entrepreneur creates solar solutions for communities in Sierra Leone | IOL Business Report". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  5. "Nthabiseng Mosia | Sustainable Energy for All Forum". www.seforallforum.org. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  6. "Nthabiseng Mosia". Clean Energy Summit Africa. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  7. "Nthabiseng Mosia | Columbia SIPA". sipa.columbia.edu. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  8. "Sierra Leone: Acumen and Gaia invest in off-grid solar | African Energy". www.africa-energy.com. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  9. Nsehe, Mfonobong. "30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs In Africa 2018". Forbes. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  10. Herbst, Denika (14 May 2018). "Meet Nthabiseng Mosia: SA entrepreneur creating solar solutions abroad". Briefly. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  11. Nwanaka, Precious (10 September 2018). "PERSON OF THE WEEK: Nthabiseng Mosia". iTalkStuff. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  12. Rens, Simphiwe. "Nthabiseng Mosia – 2017". Mail&Guardian. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  13. "Forbes Woman Africa Awards 2020 winners announced". www.bizcommunity.com. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  14. "Awardees". Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  15. Mwendera, Karen (1 July 2019). "Forbes Africa #30Under30 list: Business, Technology, Creatives and Sport". Forbes Africa. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  16. Nsehe, Mfonobong. "30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs In Africa 2018". Forbes. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  17. Staff, Quartz. "Thirty Africa innovators changing the continent's present and future". Quartz Africa. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  18. "Most Influential Young South Africans". AvanceMedia. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
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