NAIROBI: When Ronald Van Harten arrived in Kenya from the Netherlands in 2015, he was determined to invest in solar-powered equipment for homes across Africa, make a profit and help the rural poor get energy.
But within two years, his company EcoZoom, which sells solar lights, radios, MP3 players and other equipment to some of Kenya’s poorest residents, ran into financial difficulties.
The banks were not willing to lend him the capital he needed to stay afloat and loans available from microfinance institutions were too small.
So, like a number of new technology companies seeking to scale up their programs in Africa, he turned to a crowdfunding company.
“Few banks if any could finance a social investment project dealing with people seen as a high-risk group, and even worse banks are expensive and give conditions that are not easy to meet,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, referring to high interest rates charged by banks.
TRINE, a Swedish company which raised funds for EcoZoom, has a community of about 1,000 young investors in northern Europe willing to each give a minimum of €25 ($27.14) to solar firms which aim to help the world’s poorest.
Using crowdfunding, it has raised more than €750,000 for 10 renewable energy projects since its launch last year, said Matthew McShane, TRINE’s regional manager in East Africa. The firm has invested in countries including Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania and Senegal.
In Kenya, EcoZoom received €170,000 in February, while €160,000 went to Azuri East Africa, part of Azuri Technologies. Two solar micro-grids have also received funds.
“The majority of (our) investors can invest in many other ventures in Europe but choose to put their money in social impact projects partly because they want to touch the lives of the poor and partly because returns are slightly higher when compared to ... normal investments,” McShane said.
The returns are about 6 percent, because of the perceived higher risk associated with this market, he said.
Globally, crowdfunding provided $2.1 billion in investment in 2015, and investments in developing countries alone are predicted to exceed $96 billion a year within a decade, according to the World Bank.
It is emerging as an increasingly important means of financing new technology at scale in rural Africa, said Azuri Technologies CEO Simon Bransfield-Garth.
Unlike microfinance institutions where large investors make many small loans to firms, crowdfunding allows many small lenders to provide substantial finance to organizations with the reach and scale to deliver significant impact, he said.
“Crowdfunding is clearly no longer just for startups and has the potential to provide a new class of capital for energy access,” Bransfield-Garth said.
Azuri East Africa turned to crowdfunding when it wanted to raise cash to help its Kenyan partner, Raj Ushanga House, sell solar panels to 1,200 homes, helping 6,000 people access electricity.
Crowdfunding is one of the most progressive and innovative ways of raising money for projects, and relatively unexploited in Africa, said George Wachiuri, a leading Kenyan investment adviser and head of Optiven Ltd., a company based in Nairobi.
Crowdfunding needs to be carried out by specialized firms that are well versed with the concept, he added. “One needs a good understanding of how this type of fundraising works to be able to execute it successfully.”
Can crowdfunding help scale up solar power for Africa’s poor?
Can crowdfunding help scale up solar power for Africa’s poor?
Saudi Maaden reports 156% profit surge to $2bn on strong commodity prices, record production
RIYADH: Saudi mining and metals company Maaden has reported a 156 percent jump in its net profit attributable to shareholders for 2025, driven by higher commodity prices, record production volumes, and a one-off bargain purchase gain.
The state-backed giant posted a net profit of SR7.35 billion ($1.95 billion) for the full year 2025, an increase from SR2.87 billion in the previous year. The firm’s revenue surged by 19 percent to SR38.58 billion, up from SR32.55 billion in 2024.
This comes as Saudi Arabia steps up efforts to expand its mining sector as a pillar of economic diversification, encouraging international participation and private investment to unlock the Kingdom’s estimated $2.5 trillion in untapped mineral resources under Vision 2030.
In a statement on Tadawul, the company said: “Performance was led by record phosphate production, near record aluminum production, an increase in all three of Maaden’s main output commodity prices.”
The performance was also fueled by a 60 percent increase in gross profit, which reached SR14.79 billion. In its annual results announcement, Maaden attributed the top-line growth to “higher commodity market prices for phosphate, aluminum and gold business units,” as well as increased sales volumes in its phosphate and aluminum segments. This was partially offset by slightly lower sales volume in the gold unit.
Maaden’s CEO, Bob Wilt, hailed 2025 as a transformative year for the company, marked by strategic growth and operational excellence. “This was a great year for Maaden’s strategic growth. We delivered strong financial results and sustained operational excellence across the business,” he said in a statement.
“This was driven by growth in production across all businesses, including record-breaking DAP (di-ammonium phosphatevolumes), disciplined cost control across and a clear commitment to our role as a cornerstone of the Saudi economy,” Wilt added.
Profitability was further bolstered by an increased share of net profit from joint ventures and an associate. This included a one-off bargain purchase gain of SR768 million related to Maaden’s investment in Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. The company also benefited from lower finance costs.
The fourth quarter of 2025 was strong, with Maaden swinging to a net profit of SR1.67 billion, compared to a loss of SR106 million in the same period of the prior year. Quarterly revenue rose 7 percent to SR10.64 billion.
The firm achieved record production of di-ammonium phosphate, reaching 6.72 million tonnes for the year, a 9 percent increase. Aluminum production remained near-record levels, while the company added a net 7.8 million ounces to its reportable gold mineral resources through discovery and resource development.
The phosphate division saw sales jump 17 percent to SR20.77 billion, with the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization margin expanding to 47 percent. The aluminum business reported a 9 percent increase in sales to SR10.99 billion, with EBITDA more than doubling in the fourth quarter.
Looking ahead, Wilt emphasized that the pace of growth will accelerate as the company advances key initiatives, including the Phosphate 3 Phase 1 and Ar Rjum projects, which remain on budget and schedule. Maaden has also secured a gas supply for its future Phosphate 4 project.
“This pace of growth will only accelerate. Not only as we advance projects and increase the scale of our exploration program, but as we continue to grow production and implement technology that will further modernize, streamline and unlock value,” Wilt added.
Earnings per share for the year rose sharply to SR1.91, up from SR0.78 in 2024. Total shareholders’ equity increased by 18.7 percent to SR61.59 billion.
