Online Reporter
Herald Reporter
ZIMBABWEAN clean energy investors and innovators joined their peers from across the globe at the recently concluded Energy Access Investment Forum 2025 in Uganda, where the issue of energy access for millions of people across the continent took centre stage.
Hosted by the Alliance for Rural Electrification under hastag#EAIF2025, policymakers, academics and corporate leaders contributed to the dialogue on the future of energy access.
They also got insights into emerging investment trends in decentralised renewable energy.
Harare-based female entrepreneur and chief executive of Lanforce Energy, Ms Judith Marera, said the team from Zimbabwe was delighted to be part of the event, where there was a dynamic session titled “DRE Technology and Innovations from the Field,” which showcased cutting-edge solutions to clean energy supply.
The session was led by renewable energy expert Collins Owuor, technical expert Yunus Alokore, and featured interesting insights from industry leaders.
These included Ayush Gupta, the senior general manager for Schneider Electric; Cleopatra Adwar, the head of programmes at E-Safiri; Maria Elvira Zeman, the business developer at Turbulent Hydro and Norbert Taphorn, from SkySails Power.
Ms Marera said: I am excited to have attended the forum where investors, innovators and policymakers came together to shape the future of energy access in Africa.
“There were sessions that highlighted the urgent need for innovation to address the acute energy needs of communities.
“Deploying technologies tailored to local needs helps create market linkages and ecosystems that support the economic sustainability of renewable energy projects.”
Speakers expressed a commitment to pursuing new partnerships and leveraging them to mobilise additional investment capital for driving innovation, scaling business models, and expanding into new markets.
Lanforce Energy is one of several local firms that are supporting the Government’s efforts to provide clean and renewable energy in rural communities under an overall strategy to ease the pressure on the national grid.
