How are people paying for off-grid solar lighting?

Global sales of solar energy kits (lanterns, multi-light systems and solar home systems) in the second half of 2023 reached 4.6 million units.

People used pay-as-you-go methods to buy 1.69m of the units sold in H2 of 2023. The rest (2.94m) used cash to pay. And 83% of those cash sales were for solar lanterns.

PayGo sales decreased by 2% compared to the first half of the year. Post-COVID-19, the number of lanterns sold on a PAYGo basis increased.

Cash sales increased by 14% compared to the first half of the year. 61% of solar energy kits were paid for in cash in H2 of 2023.

Notably, sales of off-grid solar energy kits decreased compared to the second half of 2022 in East Africa, West Africa and South Asia. By contrast, the more nascent regional markets of Central Africa and Southern Africa recorded growth in volumes sold.