Guest blog: The Blended Capital Group: Impact Stories - MWEZI

Guest Blog by Paul Clements-Hunt

Over seven years, The Blended Capital Group (TBCG) has helped companies raise capital, secure finance, driven complex projects to delivery and helped sell break-through sustainability concepts to investors and policy-makers.

Each week during April through June we will highlight how TBCG has empowered sustainability impact at scale in break-through businesses, game-changing civil society organisations and working with change agents in international institutions.

For our kick-off week see the compelling MWEZI story below of last mile business success for one of our portfolio companies in the Lake Victoria region of Kenya serving the clean energy needs of agricultural out-growers.

TBCG assists clients through three defined channels: 

• Dynamic Investor Relations (DIR) for entrepreneurs, investors, businesses and private projects
• Dynamic Donor Relations (DDR) for civil society, social purpose and international organisations
• Scaling Impact Strategically (SIS) for policy-related and communications objectives.

MWEZI means moonlight in Swahili. UK entrepreneur Mike Sherry started the company in 2013 and MWEZI is now one of the fastest growing retail distributors of small-scale solar technologies in East Africa. Since pre-inception TBCG Founder Paul Clements-Hunt has worked with Mike to build a thriving and scalable last mile distribution business which is delivering strong income growth and widespread environmental, health and social impact. March 2019 delivered U$300,000 in gross income across the MWEZI network’s 14 outlets around Lake Victoria. We believe the business model is proven, replicable and scalable. The MWEZI story is only just beginning in TBCG’s view.

MWEZI’s vision is to distribute clean energy, health, wealth and education products to last-mile agricultural communities in Kenya and then to replicate the platform in a range of select African countries. MWEZI delivers technologies which significantly improve quality of life, reduce costs and boost household income.

MWEZI’s operations differentiate themselves by being product agnostic - sourcing best available technologies giving great value from any supplier worldwide - and offering affordable terms for last mile, out grower communities through payment instalments facilitated by the use of data and mobile technology. MWEZI is at the forefront of harnessing IT to drive social and environmental impact in Africa and places the highest priority on customer accountability through its network of stores.

MWEZI’s model is rooted in the belief that SDG 7, access to safe and clean energy, is a keystone which can enable the development of many other cross-cutting development issues. Its clean energy systems empower communities by improving their health, wealth and education prospects.

In Q1/2019 MWEZI secured debt funding to scale its number of distribution centres in Kenya from 12 to over 25 during 2019.

With the support of the The Blended Capital Group’s strategic advisory MWEZI has become an exemplar of a for-profit business which can achieve impact at scale. The TBCG team, Paul Clements-Hunt, Michael Marais, Charlie Garner, and Marco Tenconi, are geared to help clients achieve investment and projects goals.

To discuss our services contact: mm@blended.capital