How The 3kg Gas Cooker Came To Malawi Leave a comment
Background (The Problem)
265 Energy Limited entered the alternative energy supply industry as a gas distributor in 2018, providing a range of domestic gas appliances and services. The business found significant success in the urban centers of Malawi and grew exponentially. By 2020 however, 265 Energy had identified a gap in the market; many potential customers were unable to switch over to using gas because, the entry price was simply too high for the average Malawian. In order to start using Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), also known as Cooking Gas, a person must first purchase the cylinder and/or gas cooker unit which comes at a considerable cost.
The Solution
The company decided to do something about this hurdle to people adopting gas as an alternative source of energy for cooking. It began approaching financial institutions and other agencies in an effort to explore ways they could work together to bring the prices down and give more Malawians access to this safer, cleaner, energy source. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) stepped forward to help fill this gap. Together with 265 Energy, they worked to have affordable high quality cylinders produced that could be distributed in Malawi. Importantly, through its Africa-China Trade Agreement, Standard Bank Group Ltd was also able to facilitate the production and importation of the new cylinders.
Picking The Right Cylinder
The 3kg size cylinder was selected as a good entry point as it is the most affordable for a new customer, it is portable, and it can meet the needs of most households. Once the cylinders were manufactured, they were subjected to AFROX Malawi Limited’s certification process to ensure that they met all safety and regulatory requirements for use and refill. The cylinders passed with flying colours and received international ISO 14245:2019 certification. 265 Energy then imported the first batch, and began to offer them to the public in December 2022. Within the first few weeks it was clear that there is indeed demand for gas, and Malawians would love to switch to a safer, cleaner, cooking option immediately.
What Next?
With this initial hurdle somewhat solved, the brand will look towards meeting the challenge of ensuring more access to refill points for its ever growing customer base and much wider distribution of its alternative energy services to Malawians outside of urban centers and in places it currently does not reach. To this the brand will need to innovate once more and possibly take on any additional partners or interested bodies that may have means or solutions that can catapult Malawi finally into a massive energy supply renaissance.
