Egypt Today meets 2 of Africa’s youngest solar power entrepreneurs at WYF

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt – 10 November 2017: Selected by Forbes magazine to be amongst the 30 most influential African personalities, Simarach Mohouryu and Mutoba Nujoma, were amongst the attendees at the World Youth Forum, and Egypt Today has interviewed them.

Mohouryu, a 33-year-old entrepreneur from Zimbabwe, said that he was included in Forbes’ list after establishing the "Oxygen Energy" group, which specializes in the development of solar cells and their installation on rooftops in Zimbabwe.

"This year, I received an award for the 40 influential People in Africa under the age of 40, and I was therefore invited to attend the World Youth Forum to represent Zimbabwe," Mohouryu elaborated.

Capitalizing on its ability to contribute to empowering young people from different countries who are meant to be future leaders; Mohouryu stressed how impressed he was the WYF. He was specifically impressed with the youths’ ability to exchange ideas and proposals, discuss political, financial and social issues, cultural exchange, forge partnerships, launch joint ventures and collaborate with each other to ensure the implementation of tangible results on the ground.

Representing Zimbabwe, Mohouryu is one of his country’s leading entrepreneurs. He founded his company in 2013 when Zimbabwe was facing an energy shortage. His company installed solar power panels over the buildings for power generation, and partnered with a Swiss-German renewable energy company to develop and upgrade grid-connected solar power plants.

"We are planning to install solar panels that generate 20 megawatts with a total cost of $28 million," he stated.

He admired the huge solar energy project in Aswan, which is expected to generate 2,000 megawatts of electricity at a rate of 50 megawatts per station; equaling 90 percent of energy produced by the High Dam. This is considered the world's largest solar power plant.

"Egypt's strategic position is ideal for renewable energy in general and solar energy in particular; Egypt has the potential that differentiates it from other African States. Its position will enable it to produce and export solar energy to the East and West African States, and thus become a regional hub for energy production,” Mohouryu relayed.

The Zimbabwean entrepreneur urged Egyptian businessmen and all those interested in solar energy to “transcend borders,” implement solar energy projects and support other African countries to use this type of energy.

"My dream is to be the largest solar energy supplier within my country, and this is something I can achieve," he concluded.


Egypt Today Hosts Zambian Mutoba Nujoma - Photo by Egypt Today

Zambian Mutoba Nujoma, on the other hand, is featured on Forbes 2016 list of the 30 leading African personalities; representing young businessmen with his success in renewable energy, especially biodiesel.

“I started my project using simple machines to produce biodiesel step by step, then I developed and modified the machines; launching my own project and developing its own manufacturing machinery,” Nujoma explained.

With regard to funding, Nujoma received grants from foreign institutions and British institutions focusing on involving rural communities in the development process, and by 2009, the company Tabera Industries Ltd. in Zambia was established.

Tabera Industries Ltd. works to convert cooking oil and vegetable oils into biofuels, and they have nearly 2,000 farmers that grow these energy crops, with the aim of alleviating the demand for fossil fuels. Since raw materials are energy crops, it is the main resource that the project requires.

The company also works on raising farmers ' awareness of the importance of biodiesel and renewable energy, since gas and diesel are the two essential elements needed to bolster a country's economy.

"Egypt has a huge capacity to produce biodiesel and renewable energy in general," Nujoma remarked; adding that it has the land and water resources needed to cultivate energy crops.

Concluding his statement to Egypt Today, Nujoma said that this is “a good opportunity for dialogue, and the convergence of views among all young people from different countries of the world, and the creation of common ground among them.”

A number of entrepreneurs from various countries of the world participated in the World Youth Forum launched in Sharm El-Sheikh under the patronage of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.

A number of princes and heads of state and nearly 3,000 young men and women discussed many important issues such as the role of youth in combating terrorism, illegal immigration, the role of world leaders in the empowerment of women and sustainable development.