Kenya’s Zuku launches solar-powered pay-TV service
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Rebecca Hawkes
| 07 December 2016

African pay-TV provider Zuku has launched a solar-powered pay-as-you-go satellite TV service for rural consumers in central Kenya in partnership with the UK’s Azuri Technologies.

The AzuriTV system combines solar home power, TV, satellite dish and Zuku Smart+ entertainment to provide 48 TV and 21 radio channels to homes not connected to the electricity grid.

Customers will take out a credit facility, paying KES149 (US$1.50) per day for the service when they want to use it. Paying a top-up rate via a mobile money service, viewers will be able to use a 24” television with built-in satellite decoder providing up to five hours of viewing each day, four room lights, a mobile phone charging facility and a rechargeable portable radio. After at least two years of payments, the ownership of the equipment will transfer to the subscriber. Thereafter they will only pay to receive the TV channels.

Customers will receive local free-to-air channels, international channels and Zuku- branded channels*including Zuku Sports, Zuku Swahili, Zuku Kids, Zuku Life Glam and Zuku Nolly.

“This is a very exciting opportunity we are giving our customers and viewers, to have more choices and enjoy the experience to watch over 40 Zuku TV channels that offer high quality and affordable family entertainment with emphasis on the local content,” said Jay Chudasama, CEO, Zuku TV.

Azuri Technologies CEO Simon Bransfield-Garth added: “Solar power has made huge strides. Just a few years ago, a small solar light was new technology. Today we are able to provide a TV and viewing choices that would not look out of place in any major city in the world in a simple, affordable PayGo package.”

Zuku TV plans to roll the satellite-delivered*service with Azuri out across Kenya in 2017.