By CEO Erwin Spolders

REDAVIA, the rental solar company I founded in 2010, is about entrepreneurship to empower people to lead successful lives, through access to affordable, reliable and sustainable electricity.

In many of our target markets around Africa, the empowerment of women is often particularly imperative. While access to energy is an important enabler of this empowerment both in the household and in business, I strongly believe that strong, female entrepreneurial role-models are also required to inspire girls to demand independence, freedom and empowered lives.

One of REDAVIA’s key markets for its solar rental solutions, Ghana, is first in the world in female entrepreneurship. Ghana has the highest percentage of women business owners (46.4%), as measured in the second edition of the Mastercard Index of Women’s Entrepreneurship (MIWE). While the the reasons for this high percentage are not all positive, it’s encouraging to see Ghanaian women taking control of their lives through entrepreneurship.

One such woman entrepreneur is Belinda Doris Arkorful, Founder and Managing Director of LINDA DOR. I first met Belinda when signing a solar farm lease with her for her flagship property: The Linda Dor Highway Rest Stop and Restaurant at Bunso in the Eastern Region. REDAVIA will provide a rental solar farm saving the rest stop over 10% on their annual electricity bill.

Belinda established LINDA DOR Hospitality Group in 1976 to operate restaurants, rest stops and lodges in the Eastern Region of Ghana and has successfully steered her business for 42 years by making smart business decisions, guided by the power of relationships, a successful business model and doing the right thing for customers.

I could not agree more! I can only hope that in several decades REDAVIA will have matched LINDA DOR’s 42 years of successful operation. For now, helping such a powerful and inspiring role model succeed has been one of the highlights of our year so far. All of us at REDAVIA look forward to a long and mutually successful partnership.