StarTimes Uganda, a leading digital pay-TV operator based in Kampala, Uganda, is seeking up to $33.3 million in financing from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to expand its solar home systems business, with plans to distribute approximately 1.8 million affordable units across the country between 2027 and 2033.

The €30 million ($33.3 million) proposed investment, disclosed by the IFC on November 10, 2026, forms part of a project costing up to €60 million ($66.47 million) and will support the assembly, working capital and distribution logistics required to scale the company’s pay-as-you-go solar business. The project remains pending approval, with a projected board date of January 31, 2027.

The expansion will primarily target low-income and rural households, where electricity access remains limited, with the IFC estimating national access at 55.3% and rural access at 44.8%.

StarTimes targets 7.2 million people through solar expansion

The proposed expansion is expected to extend affordable electricity access to approximately 7.2 million people, particularly households underserved by Uganda’s existing power infrastructure.

According to the IFC disclosure, national electricity access stands at approximately 55.3%, falling to 44.8% in rural areas. The investment is therefore intended to expand off-grid electricity access while supporting the adoption of pay-as-you-go (PAYGo) solar technology.

The project is aligned with the World Bank Group’s Mission 300 initiative, which aims to connect 300 million people across Africa to electricity by 2030. It also complements the Electricity Access Scale-Up Project and the Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation programme.

Beyond electricity access, the project is expected to support approximately 3,553 additional and better jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen competition in Uganda’s solar home systems market.

IFC financing to support working capital and distribution

The proposed eight-year financing, including a grace period, is designed to address the long-term funding requirements of StarTimes Uganda’s PAYGo business model.

The model requires substantial upfront investment because customers repay for solar systems over extended periods, creating growing receivables and working-capital requirements. The IFC said local financial institutions generally do not provide the financing tenor and structure needed to support these long-duration cash flows.

The proceeds will finance permanent working capital and the assembly and distribution logistics required for the expansion. IFC may also mobilise financing from other parties.

The investment builds on IFC’s 2026 transaction with another StarTimes affiliate, StarTimes Smart Energy Nigeria, under the World Bank’s Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up programme.

StarTimes’ African network and expansion strategy

Founded in 2009, StarTimes Uganda is majority-owned by StarTimes International Holding Limited, a China-headquartered pay-TV and energy provider operating through subsidiaries in 35 African countries and serving 13 million subscribers.

The group is ultimately majority-owned by its founder and chairman, Xingxing Pang. StarTimes Uganda has 448 employees and a nationwide direct sales force of more than 5,000. Its headquarters and assembly facility are in Kampala.

The IFC will also provide advisory support to improve consumer profiling, receivables management and sales processes, while strengthening the company’s environmental and social practices.