MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Musoni Kenya Disburses Microloans to Fund D.light Solar Home Systems

D.light, a US-based provider of solar energy products, recently partnered with Musoni Kenya, a provider of mobile financial services, to finance solar electric systems for low-income Kenyans who live in communities with no electricity service. Included in each system is “a solar panel, mobile phone charger, solar lights, light switches, a torch and an FM radio.” Many Kenyans in off-grid communities light their homes with kerosene, which is often expensive and dangerous.

Founded in 2006, d.light is a privately-owned company based in San Francisco, California, that provides solar panels, lights and other appliances primarily to consumers in “emerging markets.” As of 2016, d.light has five distribution centers and four offices in Africa, Asia and the US. Financial information on d.light is unavailable.

Musoni Kenya is a subsidiary of Musoni, a software and technology provider based in the Netherlands, that creates “mobile money transfer systems” software. Its Kenyan unit aims to “expand financial outreach in rural areas,” via “cashless, paperless and data-driven” services. As of 2016, Musoni Kenya had 20,500 active borrowers and depositors, a gross loan portfolio of USD 7.9 million and USD 2.86 million in deposits.

By Colin Mulligan and Ryan Gauthier, Research Associates