How to Pivot and Not Die: The WiSolar Story

 

 

Afrobarometer, a pan-African, non-partisan research organisation, recently published a
report shedding light on Africa’s electricity challenges. The report highlighted that power
shortages not only hinder socioeconomic progress but also have significant effects on health
and education. In this article, we share the encouraging story of Tonye Irims, the founder and
CEO of WiSolar – the company changing the narrative of electricity in Africa, through Solar.

Tonye Irims is creating the future of Africa the way he wants to see it; and as Peter Drucker puts it in one of his famous quotes – “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Mr Irims is not only predicting the future, he is creating it – and helping to solve a fundamental problem in Africa one solar-electrified home/office at a time.

Born in 1970 in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, the Nigerian-South African entrepreneur has made a
name for himself as a product architect and inventor after the resounding and continued success of his South Africa-based prepaid solar electricity Startup company for variable loads, Wisolar.

His company, WiSolar has established its roots in the sands of time as one of the fastest growing solar electricity companies, not only in South Africa but across the continent. Before setting up his company to focus on providing solar electricity for residential and commercial clients with a need to cater for variable loads, in 2019; WiSolar started out as an inverter Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) company with a proprietary remote shut-off feature and solar installer, as far back as 2016.

Since then, he has come a long way and received local and international recognition for his work and contribution to tackling what is arguably one of Africa’s most fundamental challenges. Like every successful entrepreneur, Mr Irims admits that the journey has not been an easy one, but sacrifice and determination have been the guiding lights that have led him through the darkest paths to achieving his goals.

How Nigeria’s Tonye Irims switched off WiMobile and turned on WiSolar

For many people who followed the history and trend associated with the introduction and rise of mobile phones in Africa, especially in South Africa, WiMobile rings a bell. As the saying goes – Entrepreneurship is not for everyone. Every successful entrepreneur today has a story that details failure and how they managed to power through the challenging pivoting ocean current of business and economic challenges.

Tonye Irims is no different, and his experience with WiMobile is one that is capable of making
any one with huge dreams pack their bags and settle for an average life – but not Irims! How he successfully switched off WiMobile and turned on WiSolar without altering his determination and dreams remains a huge motivation for many young entrepreneurs across the globe. His story is one for the headlines – as it has been within the past decade.

From Zero to Hero

Every successful entrepreneur has a zero to hero story, but social observers and critics alike have admitted that Irims’ story is more relatable – especially for emerging African entrepreneurs.

Today, when you see the accolades and headlines from reputable international organizations
singing the praise of Tonye Irims, it is easy to believe the journey of the ‘green pioneer, investor and business man making millions of dollars from solar energy’ has always been green. No, this is not the case – the successes were born out of numerous bruises and scars. His primary dream and determination to provide a sustainable solution to one of the most fundamental problems facing the African continent, starting from South Africa, was a drive for Irims. So, even in the face of numerous hurdles, he kept on pushing.

Not many who know about the success of Tonye Irims are aware that his first dream was to
introduce and establish a market for dual SIM phones in the world. In fact, he is on record to be the first initiator of the prototype in the mobile industry sector through the introduction of
WiMobile. It is on record that WiMobile was the first company to introduce dual SIM phones and services in South Africa. However, at that time, stakeholders and even the general public did not appreciate the need to own two mobile numbers. Today, the reality has dawned on all and sundry, and Tonye Irims is regarded in many quarters as ‘the man who saw tomorrow’ in the future of the mobile phone sector.

Escaping a Commodity Market

Despite the fact that Irims was right about his vision and foresight in the mobile phone sector
through the introduction of dual SIM devices, he soon fell off the value chain as major mobile
brands with larger budgets quickly won the hearts of users and acquired massive market shares – which pushed WiMobile of the pedestal.

As the market became more and more commoditized, the influx of big players into Africa – to
take advantage of the seeming population knew no bounds, and Irims saw the writing on the wall for WiMobile – it was a case of evolution or extinction.
The bigger brands introduced more attractive designs and offered more affordable prices which made Irims know that the time to make a decision was now – and he did. In Covid, amidst the lockdowns and movement restrictions, Irims saw his company WiSolar scale towards unimagined heights. But again, as the man who seems to always see the future, he has launched the company in 2016 – four years before Covid hit the world. At that time, WiSolar was ready and positioned to offer the perfect much needed electricity alternative for people across South Africa.

No Free Rides

When you read the biography of Tonye Irims, it is easy to have the notion that the Nigerian-born inventor was one who was born with a silver spoon. Tonye Irims was born to Captain B.T Irimagha, a master mariner who served with the Nigerian navy before going on to work in a high capacity for Mobil and NNPC, and Mrs Muriel Irimagha was a successful business woman who hailed from the famous royal Bonny kingdom.

Coupled with the fact that he studied at the prestigious Imperial College London and Harvard
Law School after his marketing course at the University of Port Harcourt, many believe that
Irims had a great foundation that has propelled him to success.

Well, these perceptions are not true, as Irims did not get any free rides on his route to success. He worked in South Africa as a barman in a local motel, before working his sales – where he got promoted to the position of branch manager for his individual exploits in closing deals and increasing sales figures.

Working in these capacities gave him the opportunity to relate with everyday South Africans and migrants, which helped him better understand the challenges faced by his countrymen and identify a ready market.

His determination to be a changemaker was birthed after his volunteering experience with
Nigerian billionaire and telecommunications mogul, Dr. Mike Adenuga. The experience
propelled Irims to start the dual SIM phone business, and the rest is history.

The Big Change

The big change for Irims was the decision to start WiSolar in 2016 and today, he has the
advantage of being one of the indigenous companies that have gained ground in South Africa. Although he admits that the acceptance of solar energy in Africa is relatively slow compared to other parts of the world, as a lot of people are new to the technology, more people are embracing solar daily.

A turning point for his business was the national energy and electricity load shedding crisis that has rocked South Africa within the last 5 years. When the crisis first hit Southern Africa in 2019, millions of people across the country embraced solar energy, and Irims’ WiSolar was on hand to welcome them with open hands.

One issue they faced, however, was pricing – many locals who wanted the products for
residential purposes, and small businesses could not afford it. To manage this situation and make the solar product more affordable to prospective customers, Irims have brokered a partnership with Nedbank to make the products more affordable and accessible – in what stakeholders have described as a master stroke.

In October 2023, WiSolar made local and international headlines when news broke that the
company rejected a $1.5M investment offer from the IDC South Africa, taking a stand against
non-impact climate funding.
In May 2024, his company was listed as one of the Fastest Growing Companies in Africa by the Financial Times.

Making Green Energy Accessible

One of Irims dreams is to make renewable energy and solar to be as accessible and affordable across Africa as WiFi. Today, he is known as the inventor of the prepaid solar electricity service for variable loads. This digitalized service offers customers the priviledged of buying low-cost solar electricity per kWh on a pay-as-you-go basis via a mobile app.
As of today, WiSolar is proudly servicing South Africa and Nigeria and is looking at introducing its products and creating a huge presence in Tanzania, Ghana, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Zambia within the next two years.

The significant advantage of this business lies in its impact on reducing carbon emissions. On average, a WiSolar power system offsets 178 tonnes of carbon over a 30-year period, which is comparable to avoiding the combustion of 80 tonnes of coal.

Irims has been commended for leading the way in residential solar energy packages and
financing in South Africa, as well as for his innovative work in prepaid solar utilities for
affordable housing across Africa.