SunCulture’s Solar-Powered Irrigation: Tackling Climate Challenges for Sub-Saharan Africa’s Farmers
- yanabijoor
- Mar 25
- 2 min read
What is the problem?
Across sub-Saharan Africa, the climate crisis is hitting farmers hard. Droughts and floods are more frequent and intense, causing crops to fail and making traditional rain-fed farming unreliable. This is a major problem for smallholder farmers, who make up 80% of the region’s farms and depend on their harvests for food and income. With only 4% to 6% of cultivated land irrigated—mostly in wealthier nations or by big commercial farms—most smallholders lack access to an irrigation solution.
What is the solution?
SunCulture, a Kenyan climate tech company, offers an answer with solar-powered irrigation systems. These systems replace costly, polluting diesel pumps with affordable, clean energy, helping farmers water their crops consistently. The SunCulture system includes drip irrigation to deliver water precisely where needed and solar-powered batteries to store energy, allowing watering at night to reduce evaporation. Farmers can also charge other devices with the system, such as phones, giving them access to weather updates and farming tips.
Why is this innovative?
SunCulture focuses on smallholders, not just large-scale farmers, and uses a “pay-as-you-grow” model. This lets farmers pay for systems over time as their harvests improve, cutting irrigation costs by 40% to 60% compared to diesel pumps. SunCulture also taps into carbon credits to lower upfront costs, a first for an African solar pump company. The credits are certified by Verra, a carbon credit company. SunCulture’s solution blends climate action with practical farming solutions.
What is the impact?
The impact is significant. With irrigation, yields can rise to five times, lifting farmers beyond subsistence to sell surplus crops in larger markets. SunCulture has sold 47,000 units, operates in Kenya, Uganda, and Ivory Coast, and has deals to expand in Ethiopia, Zambia, and Togo. A $27.5 million Series B funding round in 2025, backed by investors like Reed Hastings (Netflix) and InfraCo Africa, supports its goal to reach 274,000 Kenyan farmers by 2030. This could transform farming in sub-Saharan Africa, which holds 60% of the world’s arable land, into a global food supplier.
What improvements are needed?
Affordability remains a hurdle despite payment plans, and SunCulture must use ethical sales practices to avoid overburdening farmers with debt. Maintenance in remote areas is tricky, although the Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring and field engineers help. Lastly, securing enough financing to scale up fast—amid a worsening climate crisis—is challenging. SunCulture has raised $65 million to date but hasn’t yet reached its $219 million target. Farmers need solutions now, and while SunCulture’s model isn’t perfect, it’s a vital step to move farmers forward in Africa.
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