The establishment of the Switch On business in this rural community has provided immediate direct and indirect benefits and has begun to contribute to sustainable economic development. This has been measured both formally and informally.
A customer satisfaction survey showed the impact on quality of life that customers experienced from the energisation system. It has helped to improve their self-image and made them feel more "civilised".
| "This 'electricity' has brought development and civilisation in our area, we did not expect this. We have waited a long time for this civilisation in our area". | 
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| "It has made us look like all the people out there who own electricity. You end up saying there is no difference between them and us". |
| Ownership of energy systems | Meeting thermal needs | |
| The community has reacted well to the opportunity to own their energy sources. People want to limit their continuing financial obligations. They are prepared to accept responsibility for the security of the systems. | By situating the monthly LPG refilling point in the valley, the whole community (not just Switch On customers) has the opportunity to make more use of LPG conveniently for cooking and heating |
| Access and affordability | Satisfaction with non-grid electrification | |
| Some community members prefer to purchase the energy systems outright, but the 3-year payment plan approach is used by the majority. However, most customers are still obliged to transact in cash as banks are either too far away or the cost of having a bank account is too great. Affordability is therefore not merely a function of what monthly amount must be paid, but also accessibility to the necessary services. |
Customers would highly recommend the Switch On system to other members of their community. They felt that the advantages of the Switch On system still made it a worthwhile purchase when compared with grid electricity. They felt that if they did ever get grid electricity, they would use the solar system for lighting purposes to cut costs and grid electricity for their appliances. |
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| "The Switch On is good and easy to maintain. We know how much are we going to pay, one can even budget". | "This has made us proud and happy because it did not come after we are dead. The other electricity (grid electricity) will come in our areas after our death". |
"There are many school going children. These children are able to do study and do homework at ease because the lights are very bright inside the house."
Before commencing work for Switch On, none of the team were "banked" as they could not afford to participate in the formal banking process. The enterprise has given them the chance to change their status. The ownership-through-loan approach provides all customers with access to credit which many did not have previously. The repayment records for each customer may also be the basis for enabling them to qualify for other financing.
| Background | Objectives | Activities | Conclusions |