Delivering power and telecom in Tanzania

Telecom tower Tanzania

Power for the tower

Power and telecom in Tanzania are inter-dependant; the telecom towers serve as a launch pad for rural electrification in surrounding communities. We provide power and maintenance to telecom tower operators in rural Tanzania, and our presence in these rural UCSAF communities means we can then provide solar power plus appliances to the wider community.

Power for the community

Because these telecom towers, have smaller transmitters drawing lower power, this frees more investment by SAfP into the provision of power services to businesses, micro-enterprises community facilities (schools, health clinics) and households. Read more about our ABCD™ model for rural electrification. SAfP will target some 300 towers over the next 6 years, providing reliable, renewable, off-grid power and appliances to around 1400 villages in rural Tanzania.

Productive use of power

SAfP is passionate about the productive use of power, the reliability of supply to create real impact and drive socio-economic growth.

Appliances for Business

Businesses can lease productive equipment such as fridges for shops; electric clippers for barbers; lighting to extend productive hours; drip-feed irrigation pumps; agri-processing equipment as the need arises.

Lighting for Homes

Typically we provide 3 lights, two cell phone chargers and a radio.

No-deposit, No-connection Fee

What is UCSAF?

UCSAF (Universal Communication Service Access Fund) is a Tanzania Government initiative which seeks to ensure everyone in Tanzania has access to modern telecommunications. It ensures mobile phone coverage for those living in low-density rural areas where the provision of cell phone coverage is otherwise uneconomic.

Impact of rural power and telecom in Tanzania

Access to power

We provide communities surrounding these towers with access to modern power services such as lighting phone charging and the ability to grow local businesses and enhance farming practices with equipment powered by SAfP systems. Although these sites are remote, the population and business densities are relatively high with an average of 1,300 households in 4-5 villages in proximity to each telecom tower.

Health Benefits

By switching from traditional kerosene and candles, householders will save money on their lighting and cell phone charging bills and the productive use of power will increase employment and improve the local economy. The provision of clean power has a wealth of health benefits, improving respiratory function, assuring safer births through health clinics provided with night-time lighting.

telecom tower provides opportunity for rural electrification in Tanzania

Climbing the energy ladder

With no fee, no deposit, we lease end-use equipment and appliances together with the solar power systems and batteries to use the equipment to homes and businesses.

Households typically start with a solar lighting and cell phone charging kit. After 18 months the system can be owned out-right and the household can upgrade to a TV, continuing to pay the same low weekly fee, with SAfP upgrading the solar panels and batteries to meet the added power demands of the new equipment.