Bboxx and Canal+ form Africa TV partnership
July 24, 2020
Bboxx, a next generation utility, has forged a partnership with Canal+ to provide customers in Africa 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.
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.
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+, added: “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.”