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- That Africa is heating up is a tragitunity
That Africa is heating up is a tragitunity
The biggest climate killer on the continent also happens to hold vast commercial opportunities
Welcome to Green Rising – nobody celebrates the planet’s warming, least of all in Africa.
Heat is more than an inconvenience – it’s a deadly menace that may kill millions.
But countering it has become a growing business, one that is worth celebrating...
From new refrigeration technology in logistics to traditional cooling designs in construction.
Much more is needed, still, to save lives and to wring jobs out of the climate tragedy.
But investors are now starting to pay attention to local business opportunities in cooling.
Africa has both the most to lose & the most to gain from inevitably rising temperatures.
⏳ Today’s reading time: 5 mins
1. 🚁 Heli view: How cooling became cool
One definition of a promising startup founder, especially in impact ventures, is someone who wants to solve a big problem.
Well, in Africa they don’t come any bigger than the one shown in the chart above.
It’s everywhere: Anti-heat solutions cut across sectors, driven by innovation and a (so far modest) influx of capital.
Most solutions tackle one facet of rising temperatures, and there are many.
The problems: Africa’s temperature is rising faster than in many other continents.
Why warming: The root cause obviously lies in developed countries but Africa is no bystander.
It has the same number of cars as Britain and triple its power generation.
Deforestation and industrial farming also contribute to rising temperatures.
Impact, plural: We don’t yet know the extent of the impact but here is a sample.
Humans face more vector-borne diseases, greater food insecurity, increased migration pressure and just sheer discomfort.
Flora and fauna see habitats degraded, threats from invasive species, dwindling water resources and loss in reproductive capacity.
Tunnel light: A focus on cooling solutions is attractive for African entrepreneurs and investors given the “total addressable market”.
Many solutions have the potential to scale to vast numbers of consumers.
Life in Africa is already so precarious that heat quickly causes existential needs.
Refrigeration: Given local power poverty, non-African solutions struggle here, leaving space in the market for companies such as Koolboks.
It offers solar-powered fridges and freezers for residential and commercial users.
To be affordable, it has weekly pay-as-you-go financing in 28 African countries.
IoT technology enables real-time monitoring of temperature, humidity and power use.
Construction: The building trade is facing a revolution in many parts of Africa.
Healthcare: Hospitals and clinics too are using new techniques and products.
Insurance: Since warming can no longer be avoided, products insuring against its most extreme effects have come to the fore.
Djibouti has signed a multi-year, multi-peril insurance deal to provide rapid payouts in case of climate-related disasters.
Systemic approach: African countries are starting to think of heat mitigation and adaptation as a national project, drawing in stakeholders across the economy.
Kenya is creating a comprehensive National Cooling Action Plan (NCAP) that includes boosting the efficiency of cooling appliances.
Open door: On a problem-rich continent, entrepreneurs face an embarrassment of opportunities.
Engineers creating Kigali’s new Green City district are integrating natural cooling systems in building designs.
Government needed: All of this could be so much easier with the right incentives.
Why give preferential tax treatment to electric vehicles but not energy-efficient cooling appliances?
2. Cheat sheet: Four simple products to cool homes naturally
(i) Crack sealant: Heat-resistant caulk can close off gaps in walls that let in hot air.
(ii) Blackout curtains: Thermal-lined cloth provides an insulating layer on windows.