Business People in Africa Reduce Charcoal Use with Smart Gas Cooking

The use of charcoal for cooking in African cities damages health and forests as far as 300km away, so businesses are stepping in with affordable pay-as-you-go (PAYG) gas cooking to replace charcoal, in a mission to save trees and lives.

Gas stoves and canisters can be costly, causing households in poor communities to rely on cheaper charcoal, putting their lives and environment in jeopardy. PAYG gas cooking allows for more reasonable prices and safer fuel, with companies on a mission to expand cleaner cooking across African cities.

BBOXX – one of Africa’s biggest off-grid solar energy providers – launched a pilot project in July for PAYG gas cooking in Kigali, Rwanda, using the same mobile money and digital platform it utilizes for solar kits and paying electricity in installments. CEO Mansoor Hamayun says London-based BBOXX plans to provide PAYG gas cooking to 10,000 homes and companies by the end of 2020, following Kigali’s plans to ban charcoal use in the coming years.