Bboxx and CANAL+ forge first of a kind partnership to expand access to TV content in Africa

Bboxx, a next generation utility, has forged a major partnership with CANAL+, the international leading pay-TV company, to provide customers with greater access to television content, news and entertainment. The new bundled offer means customers can buy a Bboxx solar home system with a television and get access to more than 100 channels and radios, such as A+, France 24 or Trace Africa, added to a selection of local channels, at an affordable price.

Bboxx manufactures, distributes and finances decentralised solar powered systems in developing countries. It is using electricity as the entry point to deliver additional services to customers and is now partnering with CANAL+ to improve customers’ experiences.

Through this partnership, Bboxx and CANAL+ have a common ambition to largely provide the underserved African households with both access to electricity and to quality TV content thanks to the bundled offer.

This is the first time CANAL+ is adapting its business model to the pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model used by Bboxx’s Solar Home Systems (SHSs), integrating their services with Bboxx’s Internet of Things (IoT) technology. As a result, the service is more affordable and accessible to underserved communities.

The partnership is targeted at rural, peri-urban and urban communities that are living off-grid or without a reliable grid connection, and the roll-out in Africa will begin in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Togo. Through this deal, Bboxx and CANAL+ services will be accessible by several hundred thousand people in the next few years.

To date, Bboxx has positively impacted the lives of over 150,000 people in these two markets through access to energy. In the DRC, Bboxx signed a memorandum of understanding in January 2020 with the DRC Government to expand energy access to millions of citizens. While in Togo, Bboxx entered a joint venture with EDF two years ago and has worked with the Togo Government on their national electrification strategy since 2017.

Mansoor Hamayun, CEO and Co-Founder of Bboxx commented: “Our latest partnership with France’s leading pay-TV company Canal+ is an exciting milestone with significant synergies in terms of offering and customer base. It enables us to provide additional value-added services that improve the quality of life for our customers.

“During Covid-19, Bboxx has been experiencing strong demand for energy – an essential need. Alongside this, the pandemic has meant more people are staying at home than ever before, so having access to news and entertainment to stay informed on current affairs while keeping entertained has never been so important. As we continue our ambitious journey, we look forward to growing alongside our international partners on our mission to transform lives and unlock potential through access to energy.”

David Mignot, CEO Africa at Canal+ commented: “We are delighted to partner with an established next generation utility like Bboxx to extend our footprint to new customers , and make television accessible to the greatest number of people by removing the barrier of access to electricity.

“This is another stepping-stone in our strategy to continue expanding our services to customers in Africa, where there is significant demand for both national and international media, information, and entertainment. As we progress, we also hope to strengthen our partnership and expand our work with Bboxx across additional markets in the future.”

As a trusted partner for customers, Bboxx is bringing more services into people’s homes for the first time. This new deal comes as Bboxx celebrates its 10th year in business, having positively transformed the lives of over one million people across Africa and Asia through access to energy. Bboxx also recently announced the launch of its new global brand at Group level, as part of its investment in the next phase of the company’s growth.