The community of Kasakula in Malawi has become the first in the country to achieve universal access to solar power, marking a milestone for clean energy access in rural areas.
The achievement comes through SolarAid’s Light a Village programme, which provides households with affordable, reliable solar energy using a community-led, Energy-as-a-Service model.
The approach enables families to pay a small daily fee for home solar systems, with maintenance and support included, making electricity access both sustainable and affordable.
Kasakula, home to 8,813 households, previously relied on candles, kerosene lamps, and grass fires for lighting.
With the roll-out complete, every home, 12 schools, and a health clinic now have access to Tier 1 electricity, improving safety, education, and healthcare in the community.
SolarAid’s model emphasises training local agents to install and maintain solar systems.
This ensures skills remain within the community.
The programme aims not only to bring immediate access to light but also to strengthen local capacity and economic resilience.
While Malawi has set a national target of universal electricity access by 2030, more than 80% of the population still lacks power. Kasakula’s success demonstrates that decentralised solar solutions can accelerate progress towards this goal.
John Keane, SolarAid’s CEO, has described Light a Village as proof that energy access can be achieved within a shorter timeframe than anticipated, even in remote regions.
At Solar & Storage Live in London earlier this year, Solar&StorageXtra spoke to John, who said:
“The growth of the solar industry has been a huge benefit to our work in many ways. Technology has improved, and prices have dropped, making solar energy more accessible.
“Even a small solar system can transform a rural household or community overnight, and that’s something that still excites me after 25 years in this field.”
Kasakula’s transition highlights the potential of solar power to deliver immediate, tangible improvements to rural communities while contributing to Malawi’s broader electrification goals.
[Images credit: SolarAid]
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