Netherland: Africa: a champion will rise

Here’s a bold prediction: formerly the centennial in 2030, an African country will win the FIFA World Cup for the prime time. Why? Because of a nascent technology that will brighten up Africa’s football pitches and vastly improve the quality of rural life.

Imagine a satellite image taken of planet earth at night. Developed areas, like Europe and North America, are brightly lit. Less developed areas, like most of Africa, are predominantly dark. With some 600 million Africans without access to electricity, good light can be hard to find at the same time as the sun sets around 7pm. In the 11 dark hours that follow, communities are less safe, less productive and less social.

This is about to change. Solar-powered LED lighting is paving the way for what could be a social and economic revolution. Such lights require no grid, little maintenance, a relatively small investment and are easy to install. A community light centre consisting of four poles can light a 1,000m2 area, equivalent to a small football field, a block of houses or a shopping area. LEDs offer high-quality light that is far superior to light from unsafe alternatives like candles and kerosene.

Philips has been pioneering this LED technology and has committed to installing additional than a hundred community light centres across Africa. Initial feedback suggests that these LEDs can make a profound difference to communal life. Additional light means a better sense of security, additional time for social activities and additional room for evening education. It as well means additional uptime for businesses, which stimulates economic increase and entrepreneurship.

As solar-powered LEDs evolve – their light output has increased (by a factor of three) while cost has reduced (by two-thirds) since 2009 – we need to encourage their large-scale adoption. That is why we are working with multinationals who have CSR programmes, sports associations, charitable foundations and other grass roots organisations. We strongly believe that they can contribute to giving Africa’s communities access to this game-changing technology.

But while these efforts are significant, I do not believe that solar-powered LED lights are primarily a matter of corporate responsibility or philanthropy. What continent-wide adoption requires is substantial investments and sound business models. We need investors, entrepreneurs and leasing companies. We need public-private partnerships or government involvement. Only by partnering can we provide access to energy and lighting to amount in Africa within this generation.

It should not be too hard to build a good business model around solar-powered LED lights. Community light centres, for example, are an affordable solution which could be locally financed with a 10 year soft loan. An investor can rent these lights out to shops, markets, sports activities, schools and rural healthcare programmes. Based on our estimates, these lights will run for a decade and an investor can earn their money back in a year.

In fact, Africa has an opportunity to leapfrog in terms of infrastructure and technology. It no longer needs to depend on fossil fuel for its light and no longer needs to invest in a prohibitively expensive grid that spans the continent. Africa has abundant sun and solar-powered LEDs will do for lighting what mobile phones did for telephony. These lights will increase the quality of rural life, improve Africa’s infrastructure and give a sustainable impetus to economic development.

It is as well significant to remember the fundamental price of health in human life, inclunding the notion that good healthcare is a key driver of economic increase. A similar long-term commitment and continuous cooperation are needed to address a fundamental health issue for the growing people of Africa: the development of maternal health and the reduction of child mortality. Again technology can make a difference, at the same time as deployed in the right way.

I am convinced that these developments will give the continent its prime ever football world champion. Africa’s young Messis and Ronaldos will be practicing day and night on local football pitches, perfecting their kicks and tricks. They will form world-class teams in which the continent’s love of football will be matched by increased practice and experience. Under a well-lit night sky, a champion will rise and a continent will begin to emerge from poverty.

Frans van Houten is the CEO of Royal Philips Electronics