SunCulture is providing access to irrigation solutions across Africa through solar energy and IoT
Smallholder farms make up around 80% of farms in Sub-Saharan Africa, numbering an estimated 33 million. These rely largely on rainfed irrigation, causing yields to vary based on climate conditions, and preventing farmers from planting high-value crops requiring large amounts of water. This in turn impacts incomes and food security. While irrigation is a key solution to this problem, less than 5% of land in sub-Saharan Africa is irrigated. Among barriers to irrigation is the high cost of fuel-based irrigation pumps. Kenyan startup SunCulture identifies solar-powered, Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled irrigation pumps as a response to this need, seeking to reduce costs, increase production yields, and enhance food security across sub-Saharan Africa.
SunCulture offers a suite of irrigation pumps powered by off-grid solar technology to provide access to water, light, and mobile charging to farms and households. Varying based on capacity, pumps such as the ClimateSmart Direct offer irrigation solutions for farms up to 1 acre in size, and the Rainmaker2 covers farms of up to 2-acres. SunCulture also produces a ClimateSmart Battery, which can be used to power a television for over 20 hours, or combined with its irrigation pumps for additional power. The company’s services include a consultation to help determine the best pump type for the customer, installation support and training, and ongoing customer service. SunCulture reports that its products increase crop yields up to five times (300%), incomes up to 10 times, and reduce water usage by 80%.
SunCulture is set apart by its leveraging of IoT. Its IoT-enabled equipment allows access to data around usage and needs. Users also have access to information such as accurate weather forecasts, allowing for better planning. Customer data is used by SunCulture to further refine its offerings, and aggregate data is offered to actors across the value chain as insight into sectoral trends.
SunCulture implements several measures to facilitate access to its products. The company allows clients to pay in monthly installments as part of a Pay-As-You-Grow financing scheme, structured in three tiers and depending on the desired product. SunCulture also runs a referral program, offering existing clients financial rewards in return for recommending SunCulture products to others who make a purchase. In 2021, the company launched a mobile application, further making the purchasing process accessible. In addition to Kenya, SunCulture products are currently used in countries including Ethiopia, Zambia, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire.
In April 2024, SunCulture raised US$12 million in capital towards its goal of enhancing irrigation solutions across Sub-Saharan Africa and providing hundreds of farmers with access to its products by 2030. With irrigation widely promoted as an important avenue through which smallholder farmers can protect and improve their harvests, livelihoods, and food security, SunCulture is making this solution possible through innovative solar and IOT-powered technology.
