Power, connectivity, and opportunity
From Solar to Smartphones
The Challenge
Closing the digital gap
Second only to lighting, smartphones are the most ubiquitous and impactful appliance in everyday life. In Africa, as in the rest of the world, the smartphone is the primary gateway to the internet and communications. Economic life is increasingly online: the mobile industry represented 7% ($140 billion) of Africa’s GDP in 2023, and is expected to reach $170 billion by 2030.
Nonetheless, financial barriers to smartphone access still keep billions of people offline. The digital divide is most pronounced for women, low-income families, and young people — the very groups who stand to benefit most from connectivity. Without smartphones, people are cut off from education, work, healthcare, and participation in public life.
Working Together
Powering affordable connection
Sun King began by powering homes and businesses with solar systems delivered through Pay-As-You-Go financing, allowing families to pay in small instalments over time and overcome high upfront costs. Now, we’re making smartphones affordable in the same way, and removing one of the biggest barriers to digital access.
The result? Customers have both the power to charge their phones and the smartphones to stay connected. This enables full participation in the digital economy, helping people communicate, earn, access education and services, and reinvest in their households and businesses.
Our Smartphones
Engineered for reliability
Sun King designs its own smartphones for the realities of off- and unreliable-grid communities, ensuring long battery life, durable hardware, features that reflect African customers’ needs and preferences. Our new EZ range embodies this approach, making smartphone ownership more affordable and accessible than ever.
The EZ 1 android smartphone is engineered for off- and unreliable-grid environments and is assembled in Africa at Sun King’s manufacturing facility in Kiambu County, Kenya. The device is available in Kenya today, with additional market rollouts planned.
Unlocking Opportunity through Digital Access
Connectivity’s far-reaching impact
Smartphones allow entrepreneurs to market their businesses online, use mobile banking, and grow their incomes. Students benefit from e-learning, while families stay connected to essential services.
Digital tools expand access to healthcare, from vaccination campaigns to emergency alerts. Mobile money and digital IDs make it easier for people to save, borrow, and get access to vital services like healthcare and education.
