Building a battery-swapping network across Africa

The system provides access to fully charged batteries, providing customers with accessible and clean power

Spotted: In Ghana, 87 per cent of the population has access to energy, with 91 per cent of urban residents and 50 per cent of rural residents connected to the grid. But what if a grid connection wasn’t necessary to power devices? Enter Kofa, a startup that is rethinking the way people access energy.

The startup is on a mission to give its customers access to an affordable and sustainable electricity network, using batteries. These lightweight and well-designed batteries can power various applications, from transportation and off-grid power supplies to electric tools, appliances, and backup power for shops and homes.

A central solution to help Kofa fulfil its mission is its ‘Swap & Go’ system. This distributed network of batteries and swap stations allows customers to exchange their depleted batteries for fully charged ones in seconds. They simply find and visit a Kofa Swap & Go station using an app.

Powered by Kofa’s batteries, devices not only outperform petrol alternatives, but the technology also significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improves local air quality, and offers cost efficiency over a user’s lifetime.

After partnering up with mobility company TAILG, Kofa aims to create over 5,000 battery swap stations across Africa by 2030. This partnership will also see Kofa grow further, with hopes to launch 200,000 of the company’s Jidi electric motorcycles in the next 6 years, equipped with battery swap technology.

Written By: Georgia King