Microfinance

Microfinance is a banking service provided to low-income individuals or groups who otherwise would have no other access to financial services. Microfinance allows people to take on reasonable small business loans safely, in a manner that is consistent with ethical lending practices.

​

Load shedding 

A term often used in South Africa to describe planned rolling electricity blackouts. 

 

Off-grid 

Off-grid systems do not rely on a utility grid connection to supply electricity. Power can be generated locally.

 

PAYGO (Pay As You GO)

Pay-as-you-go, or PAYGO, systems allow small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners, as well as consumers, to only purchase the amount of a product they need, as they use it. This allows individuals with limited means to take advantage of available capital, e.g. electricity, up to whatever their imposed limit may be. A PAYGo system does not require consumers to purchase significant capital before its use.

 

Productive Use of Energy

Productive uses of energy (PUE) refer to powered devices that can be used in commerce, industry, and agriculture. PUE can be used as capital to grow, process, and store produce. In working to increase the supply and uptake of off-grid PUE, Power Africa prioritizes renewable and low-carbon technologies.

​

Results-based financing (RBF)

Results-based financing (RBF) is an umbrella term referring to any program or intervention that provides rewards to individuals or institutions after agreed-upon results are achieved and verified. The approach has the potential to provide a stronger focus on the actions necessary to improve learning outcomes, foster local solutions to common education challenges, and strengthen the capacity of education systems to measure and track progress.

​

Social Impact

A significant, positive change that addresses a pressing social challenge. Creating social impact is the result of a deliberate set of activities with a goal matching this definition.

​

Solar Home Systems (SHS)

A Solar Home System refers to a standalone system that provides electric power to households to operate lighting and other household appliances like TVs, lighting, computers, washing machines, water pumps etc.

​