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Brighton Gumbo Business Reporter
BULAWAYO will host an inaugural expo on solar energy this weekend to deliberate on the development of renewable energy opportunities in solar power.

The expo is being organised by SNV Netherlands, a non-governmental organisation in partnership with council, solar companies and the provincial leadership.

More than 25 major solar companies are expected to participate at the expo.

SNV Head of renewable energy sector Chandi Makuyana said: “The solar fairs will create marketing spaces for SNV trained youth entrepreneurs in partnership with the central distributors to engage the market and showcase the wide variety of holistic, quality solar products and solutions that are available and affordable”.

He said their initiative has received support from big corporates such as Total Zimbabwe, Solar Shack, Samansco, Gemwitts and GreenDot.

Makuyana revealed that Total Zimbabwe, in partnership with SNV, have already trained 360 youth entrepreneurs drawn from rural and peri-urban communities in marketing of its new brand of lights and lanterns.

A financial advisory support has been set up for the project by different financial institutions such as FBC through its micro plan programme.

The expo will explain how customers who wish to install solar home systems can access finance as part of awareness campaigns under the theme, “Solar Kumusha/ISolar Ekhaya’ and ‘Zvirikufaya ne/Ziyakhipha nge solar’.

“We’ve indeed seen the lives of communities in rural areas transformed by the use of solar products and every rural household deserves to have solar solutions for power and lights,” said Makuyana.

He said similar expos will be held in Lupane, Karoi, Mutare, Mt Darwin, Masvingo and Mutoko.

SNV Zimbabwe has been in Zimbabwe since 1983 contributing to poverty reduction and economic growth in line with the country’s medium-term plan and the global millennium development goals.