We talked to Rune Dige, the founder of RDG, about its evolution, from early setbacks to regional expansion, with backing from EDFI Management Company – ElectriFI and Technical Assistance

“Since I was very young, my ambition was to work for the World Bank or the United Nations. I wanted to be part of something that helped people. Something with social impact.” said Rune Gunnar Dige, founder of RDG, when we asked him why and how did it all start. A university field trip to Ethiopia focused his view even more. What he saw was a cycle of temporary aid, a lot of interventions, but little lasting empowerment. “It didn’t feel sustainable,” he recalled. “There was a lot of planning, but no permanence. And I kept thinking: how are we going to solve these problems if it always depends on donations?” That experience planted the seed for a different approach: one that would prove it pays to do good. Rune believed that impact and financial return could coexist.

Around the same time, he read about M-KOPA, a Kenyan company pioneering pay-as-you-go solar kits for off-grid households. The model struck him as transformative: electricity as the foundation for development, delivered through a commercially viable system. “Electricity is step one,” Rune said. “Without it, nothing else works.”

Fast forward to 2017 – he arrived in Lusaka, his first hire was Chanda Chakota (on the photo), a Customer Service representative he met while changing a flight. She became a key part of RDG’s early operations. His first investor was a former consulting client who backed him with capital for inventory, a vehicle and a small office.

From idealism to inventory, resilience and survival

RDG launched in 2018, selling solar kits on a cash basis. The model failed almost immediately. “Very few people could afford to pay upfront,” Rune said. “It was naïve from me.”

He pivoted to pay-as-you-go, partnering with Angaza, a San Francisco-based software provider, to retrofit 700 units with locking PCBs. Angaza’s platform enables remote activation and deactivation of solar kits based on payment status. The PCB – printed circuit board – is the hardware component that connects and controls electronic parts. RDG redesigned its PCB to integrate Angaza’s locking mechanism, allowing solar kits to be disabled if payments weren’t made. Rune did the rewiring himself, working 20-hour days for a week.

The company operated very lean. “We shared cars, roles and responsibilities. I lived in the office.” added Rune.

Zambia’s macroeconomic environment added pressure. The country defaulted on its Eurobond debt in 2020, triggering investor flight and rapid currency depreciation. The kwacha fell from 12.50 to nearly 30 against the dollar in under six years . “We had to price 50% higher just to stay afloat,” Rune said. “Then inflation hit, and our customers couldn’t afford the products.” Zambia’s inflation rate peaked at over 24% in 2021 before stabilising.

“We survived based on resilience. I’m not Elon Musk,” Rune said. “I can’t invent anything. But I can keep going until it works.” Rune’s leadership style is defined by persistence. “One of my managers said after one of particularly difficult days, ‘He’s finished. He won’t come to the office tomorrow.’ But I was there the next morning.” He quotes Will Smith: “The only thing that I see that is distinctly different about me is, I am not afraid to die on a treadmill. You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me. But if we get on the treadmill together, there’s two things. You are getting off first. Or I am going to die. It’s that simple.” That mindset has carried RDG through currency crashes, COVID disruptions, and internal crises.

ElectriFI’s catalytic role + Technical Assistance

RDG’s turning point came with a grant from the Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa, followed by an equity like investment from ElectriFI, which helped de-risk the company and attract further capital. “ElectriFI was the accelerator,” Rune said. The company also raised debt from Oikocredit and, in September 2025, closed a Series A round led by Inside Capital.

Technical assistance from EDFI MC was equally transformative. An interim CFO helped RDG professionalise its financial structure, paving the way for the Series A. “I can raise money, but I didn’t know everything about finance,” Rune said. “TA helped me grow as a founder. Actually, when things went wrong, it was the personal support from Natalia, Guillaume, Antonieta, Quentin and others that kept me going. That’s rare in this industry.”

“…when things went wrong, it was the personal support from Natalia, Guillaume, Antonieta, Quentin and others that kept me going. That’s rare in this industry.”

Simple design and good service

RDG’s success has little to do with technological breakthroughs. It is based on simple design, and good service. “Our approach to product design is rooted in simplicity. We insist on Apple-style aesthetics and user experience. The solar kits are intuitive, reliable and easy to maintain.” said Rune when we asked about what makes them different. “The battery isn’t the differentiator; it’s support and service capacity.” RDG’s service centres, which operate in nine languages across Zambia. The country’s linguistic diversity, over 70 languages and dialects, is reflected in RDG’s customer support strategy. “We serve where the demand exists,” Rune said. “Not just where it’s easy.”

Expansion into DRC: opportunity and friction

RDG entered the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2024, targeting the southeastern mining corridor near the Zambian border. The region is economically active and relatively stable compared to eastern provinces, which have been affected by conflict. The proximity to Zambia allows RDG to leverage its existing logistics and operational base in Lusaka. “We’re closer to our DRC customers than they are to Kinshasa,” Rune said. “It makes sense geographically and strategically.”

The DRC has one of the lowest electrification rates in the world. The World Bank’s 2023 Doing Business indicators rank the Democratic republic of Congo among the most difficult countries for cross-border trade and business registration. However, Rune described the environment as “not just chaotic but almost manicly full of potential, but equally full of friction. There’s so much demand, so much drive from the Congolese,” he said.

Despite the challenges, RDG sees long-term value in the DRC. The company is focusing on mining communities and peri-urban zones where demand for reliable energy is high. The strategy is to replicate its Zambian model: lean operations, multilingual service, and pay-as-you-go simplicity.

Rune’s ambition is to prove that success is possible in places others avoid. “I’ve dreamt about the DRC since I was a teenager,” he said. “If I can make it work there, I can make it work anywhere.”

Next frontiers: assembly ambitions and Angola

Back in Zambia, RDG has acquired land in the Lusaka Multi-Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ), a government-backed industrial park designed to attract manufacturing and logistics investment. The company plans to build a warehouse, head office and solar kit assembly lines on site. Construction is funded by the Series A round led by Inside Capital. “We’re taking ownership now,” Rune said. “We’re not renting space anymore. We’re building something permanent.”

The assembly plan is a logistical upgrade and a strategic shift towards localisation. By assembling kits in Zambia, RDG aims to reduce import costs, hedge against currency volatility, and create skilled jobs. This move aligns with Zambia’s industrial policy, which encourages value addition and local manufacturing in energy and agriculture. The MFEZ offers tax incentives and streamlined customs procedures, which could help RDG scale its operations more efficiently.

Rune is cautious but optimistic. “Five years ago, I wouldn’t have done this,” he said. “But now, I feel like we’re getting there. The country is changing. And we want to be part of that change.”

RDG’s next frontier is Angola. The country shares a border with Zambia and has a similarly low electrification rate, estimated at 47% nationally and under 10% in rural areas as of 2022. 

Angola’s energy sector is dominated by large-scale hydro and fossil fuel generation, but off-grid solar remains underdeveloped. The regulatory environment is improving, with recent reforms aimed at attracting private investment in renewables.

Rune sees Angola as a natural extension of RDG’s model. “It’s challenging, but it’s close. And it’s underserved,” he said. The company is currently assessing entry points, focusing on border regions where logistics can be supported from Zambia. The strategy is to replicate RDG’s lean, service-driven approach, adapted to Angola’s linguistic and regulatory context.

Long term trajectory

RDG’s trajectory stands out in a sector where survival is far from guaranteed. Between 2022 and 2025, multiple SHS providers across sub-Saharan Africa either downsized or exited due to currency risk, low repayment rates, and difficulty securing follow-on capital. A 2023 market update from GOGLA noted that while demand for off-grid solar remains strong, many companies face “unsustainable unit economics” and “limited access to working capital,” especially in fragile markets like Zambia. Zambia itself has seen limited long-term presence from major brands such as M-KOPA and d.light, despite donor-backed initiatives like the Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa. RDG’s ability to remain cash-flow positive, expand into DRC, and prepare for assembly operations in Zambia reflects a model built on resilience. In fragile markets, that is a trait but it’s also the business plan. Much of that resilience is rooted in the team itself. “Everyone in this office is full of energy and entrepreneurship.” said Rune Dige. “That energy is what keeps us going, they bring local insight, adaptability and drive.”

Impact: from vision to reality

When Rune Dige first travelled to Ethiopia as a student, he gained a passion for developing a sustainable model to empower those most in need. He understood that the lasting change must be built. 13 years later, RDG’s operations in Zambia reflect that principle in practice.

The company has deployed 50,000 solar kits across peri-urban and rural areas, where grid electricity is either unreliable or absent. These kits provide lighting, phone charging, and power for small appliances and agricultural tools. RDG’s pay-as-you-go model makes energy accessible to households where some live below the poverty line, without relying on subsidies or giveaways.

One example is Mr Sakala, a farmer located outside Lusaka. Before installing RDG’s solar-powered water pump, his irrigation was limited to manual labour and seasonal rainfall. With the pump, he expanded his cultivated land, increased crop yields, and reinvested in his farm.

“Before RDG’s solar water pump, I depended on the rains. Now I can irrigate year-round, grow more crops, and my income has tripled. This pump has truly changed my life.” — Mr. Sakala, Small-Scale Farmer

 

For Rune, this is the outcome he envisioned as a student: a model that proves it’s possible to do good and build a business at the same time.