Econet InfraCo powers rural clinics via solar base stations

Free solar power from telecom towers is keeping rural Zimbabwe clinics lit up, and that flip alone is changing how healthcare works in the middle of nowhere.

Solar hubs power remote clinics

• Econet InfraCo repurposed base stations into solar energy hubs.
• The company supplies free electricity within five kilometers of each tower.
• The initiative kicked off last year in remote Zimbabwe areas.
• Higher Life Foundation partnered on rolling out the program.

Clinic operations get a real boost

• Rural facilities had relied on patchy generators or darkness.
• Vaccines stay cold without sudden outages wrecking storage.
• Emergency procedures keep running even during grid failures.
• Night births no longer happen under torchlight.

Zvishavane District clinic impact

• A small clinic in Zvishavane District reported major changes.
• Nurses said treatments were paused during outages.
• Staff can run fridges, lights, and medical gear consistently.
• Power stability shifted daily operations for that team.

Bigger vision from Econet leadership

• Douglas Mboweni leads Econet Wireless Zimbabwe as Group CEO.
• Mboweni floated the idea as a template for other African nations.
• Econet InfraCo is also weighing small rural footbridge projects.
• Bridges would help women and children cross rivers safely.