A women-owned company enhances clean cooking access in Zimbabwe

The second portfolio company in Zimbabwe is a women-owned company, Powerlive Zimbabwe, expanding access to clean cooking solutions across the country with support from MCFA.

Powerlive Zimbabwe, founded in 2018, previously specialised in solar home systems sales and entered the clean cooking market in 2023 by introducing a gasifier stove to their product portfolio. With MCFA support, Powerlive Zimbabwe plans to expand its business operations and distribution network, as well as establish new pellet production points, where the company will produce their own pellets.

“This partnership with MCFA marks an important milestone for Powerlive Zimbabwe. By scaling clean cooking solutions and building local pellet production, we are reducing energy poverty while creating jobs and supporting women’s economic empowerment in rural and peri-urban communities. We are proud to lead an initiative where environmental action directly supports local economic growth,” says Precious Vuma, CEO of Powerlive Zimbabwe.

With approx. EUR 800,300 in MCFA funding, Powerlive aims to distribute up to 15,000 new clean cooking services by the end of 2029, providing up to 60,300 people with access to clean cooking and improved health outcomes in rural and peri-urban areas of Zimbabwe.

The company will offer its customers gasifier stoves, supplied by Mimi Moto, with its own produced pellets from local sawdust, under a PAYGO business model designed to make clean cooking more accessible and affordable for households across Zimbabwe. The Mimi Moto cookstoves include two interchangeable burners, an infrared heater, and a power controller. The stoves are manufactured in Kenya.

Through the business expansion the company will contribute to local economic development by sourcing raw materials from Zimbabwean suppliers. Enhanced marketing and educational efforts by Powerlive Zimbabwe will raise awareness about clean cooking and its health benefits, with partnerships established alongside local organisations and community leaders. Company staff and local partners will receive training to strengthen operations and capacity.

Job creation and the fostering of local businesses are also expected outcomes, as Powerlive Zimbabwe plans to employ and train women as sales agents and technicians for pellet production and distribution.

By early June 2026, MCFA had contracted 23 companies in total, across six project countries, including two in Zimbabwe. Powerlivewas shortlisted under the second funding round (MCFA2) under the Catalytic Funding Window, combining grants and results-based financing, and targeting earlier stage companies. The selection process included third‑party evaluations of the final applications by independent experts and a detailed due‑diligence assessment carried out by Danish Energy Management, in consortium with LFS Advisory.

For further information, please contact:

Emma Yrjölä, Programme Manager, Nefco
emma.yrjola@nefco.int, +358 106180826

Precious Vuma, Chief Executive Officer, Powerlive Zimbabwe
precious@powerlive.co.zw, +263 780 978 933

About Powerlive Zimbabwe

Powerlive Zimbabwe is a for-profit, women-led social enterprise that sells, distributes and installs high-quality decentralised and scalable new generation of modular home, business, and productive-use of energy systems and clean cooking solutions on Pay As You Go (PAYGO) basis to off-grid residential households, small scale farmers and schools in the rural and peri-urban areas of Zimbabwe through a network of strategically positioned rural female sales agents and technicians. Read more at www.powerlive.co.zw