Claudine Kamikazi has a precious commodity that's in high demand.
She runs a "Mobile Solar Kiosk" at the central bus station in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.
Many of the phone users alighting here have been on the road and off-line for hours.
Claudine's kiosk enables them to charge up their phones or surf the Net -- courtesy of
solar power.
"Business is good, I chose this because it's something new.
The fact that they always come to me shows I made a good choice."
The “Mobile Solar Kiosk” is the brainchild of this man: Henri Nyakarundi.
The idea was an obvious solution to the situation on the ground, he says.
70 percent of Rwanda's 11 and half a million inhabitants have a mobile phone.
But only 22 percent have electricity.
"People spend a whole day here.
There's no plug, if you look around, there is no plug for people to charge.
So it's a convenient way for people waiting for the bus to charge their phone, pay a small
fee and go on their business.
/// Or whether we are in a rural area the convenience stay the same.
People don't have time to carry their charger with them, to go to a store and ask somebody,
now they can do that."
It's been four years since Nyakarundi built the very first "Mobile Solar Kiosk" with the
assistance of a German company.
There are now 40 spread across Rwanda – each one managed by independent operators like
Claudine.
A portion of their earnings goes to the inventor.
For him, what began as a simple idea has evolved into far more than just a business model.
"The social impact it's very key to our business.
That's what we focus on.
So we're mostly looking for women, or people with a disability that don't have any job,
no other opportunity but want to work./// And it also brings a certain ... I wouldn´t
say pride, but self-esteem."
Demand is substantial in Rwanda -- both for new jobs, and for access to electricity and
the internet, which is why Henri Nyakarundi sees huge market potential.
By the end of this year he plans to expand his pool of kiosks from 40 to between 600
and 800.
He also wants to take his invaluable experience from Rwanda and introduce the successful micro-franchising
model to neighboring Uganda -- where the majority of the kiosk components are made.
"It's not just creating jobs though micro-entrepreneurship.
It's building this ecosystem that will support them through that business.
So we transport the kiosk to the location for them, which is including all the fees.
We give them support on the uniform they wear, they have an app where they sell services."
The Mugombwa area is a three-hour drive from Kigali.
Most people here get around on foot -- whether to go shopping, pick up water, or to reach
the nearest generator or electric socket.
Emannuel Gakindi set up business with a "Solar Kiosk" three years ago.
It's the original edition, with no Internet access.
But people still come flocking wherever he shows up.
"Now I also have a paid assistant.
And I can cover all my expenses from the phone-charging business.”
He's even added a second kiosk.
He would also like to provide Internet access to his customers -- which would require one
of the new kiosks.
Henri Nyakarundi is introducing the next generation at the "Smart Africa" conference at the Kigali
convention center.
It brings together politicians with entrepreneurs, donors and investors to discuss technical
solutions for the continent and its people.
Henri Nyakarundi is happy to see so much interest in his innovation.
"Our goal for the next ten years is 20 countries in Africa.
We've already selected the countries.
We estimated 50- to a 100-thousand kiosks in all those countries.
That's about 50- to 100,000 micro-businesses we'll be creating."
A Mobile Solar Kiosk currently costs more than two thousand dollars.
Henri plans to maximize the number of components made in Africa - lowering the price, and creating
even more jobs.
Claudine, the kiosk operator from the bus station, has finished work for the day.
Now she's helping her children finish their homework.
She can more or less determine her own working hours -- and how much commission she earns
from the sale of phone credits and electricity.
"I can't afford to stay at home with my kids.
I need to have an income.
And the job helps me to make ends meet.
It's made things a lot easier.”
She earns around 100 dollars a month from the kiosk, which in Rwanda amounts to double
the average income.