What's Your Problem? From Solar Pumps to Everything: Building a Market from Scratch
Jan 22, 2026
In this engaging discussion, Samir Ibrahim, co-founder and CEO of SunCulture, shares insights on transforming agriculture for smallholder farmers in Africa. He dives into how reliable water access can boost yields and income. Samir explains the benefits of affordable solar irrigation systems, the challenges of adding financial services, and the impressive metrics of customer engagement. He also highlights the impact of carbon credits and the potential for small farms to thrive with new technologies, effectively creating a vibrant new market.
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Water Is The Highest-Impact Farming Variable
- Water is the single most outsized input for smallholder yields, and unreliable rain is their core vulnerability.
- Targeting irrigation addresses both climate risk and a major productivity lever for African agriculture.
From $25K Systems To A $5K Pilot
- Samir's team built Africa's first solar irrigation company by assembling existing parts and lowering costs from $25,000 to $5,000 for pilots.
- That early reduction proved feasibility but revealed deeper problems beyond price.
Market Creation Requires More Than Lower Prices
- Affordability alone won't create a market because smallholders lack access to financing, installers, and after‑sales support.
- Building market infrastructure is as important as product engineering.
