Tackling barriers to solar irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa: Regional insights from entrepreneurs

Solar-powered irrigation technologies are increasingly recognized as a vital solution for addressing water access challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa, where agriculture is the backbone of livelihoods and food security. With 90% of cropland dependent on unpredictable rainfall and smallholder farmers producing 80% of the region’s food, sustainable irrigation systems are essential for improving productivity and resilience. Despite this potential, solar irrigation companies across Africa face diverse and country-specific challenges such as difficulties in market penetration, low awareness and acceptance among farmers, and financial sustainability given the seasonality of their business models. This webinar facilitated a peer-to-peer exchange during which entrepreneurs discussed their specific challenges and how they deal with them in an innovative way as part of the SESA incubator programme. Watch the webinar here: Download the presentations here:

• Tackling barriers to solar irrigation webinar: Introduction
• A full-service financed solar irrigation model
• Solar Irrigation in a Country Severely Affected by Drought
• Diversification Of Revenue Streams To Ensure Financial Sustainability In A Low-income Smallholder Farmer Market

This webinar is part of the Smart Energy Solutions for Africa (SESA) project, funded by the European Union.