Mobile phone business thrives in ‘darkness’

Electricity is very critical to individuals and businesses, but for residents of ‘Katapie’ in the Ahafo Ano North District of the Ashanti Region, it has remained a wish.

Amid the unfortunate developmental vacuum, comes the flourishing mobile phone charging business.

Thirty-five-year old ‘Katapie’ resident, D.K. Emmanuel, as he prefers to be called, is the brain behind the initiative.

He is a farmer who cultivates plantain, cassava and other food crops.

Farming is not his only occupation. He runs the only provision shop in a community of just over 800 inhabitants where he even sells iced-water.

Emma, his consumer customers affectionately call him, has been doing the business for six years.




As business inclined as he is, he charges mobile phones for a fee to augment his income from farming.

So his customers do not only come in to buy but to charge their phones due to unavailability of electricity.

Emma uses a generator for his business. He buys 40 cedis worth of fuel to power his generator for his business.

His service attracts clients beyond the ‘Katapie’. It extends to other towns who also charge their phones at his place during market days.

Market days come ones every week.

“During market days, many people from other communities come to sell. Since I am the only person who charges phones here, they bring their phones and I do it for them. Those without chargers, I use a universal charger to charge for them. My business really booms during these periods,” he said.

It is about 2 pm and Maafia, one of his customers, is here to take her phone she has left in Emma’s shop to charge since morning.

Meanwhile, Awal, another customer of Emma is now bringing his phone to charge.

Maafia came with her charger but Awal has no charger. This means Emma will provide a charger for him but at the same fee. But they both paid 1 cedi for the service rendered.

For Awal, Emma is a kind person because the amount being charged is cheaper compared to the same service in Tepa where there is electricity.

In a day, he is able to charge an average 40 phones but manages to charge more phones during market days.

To be able to differentiate the owners of one phone from the other, he writes every owner’s name on a sheet of paper and sticks it on the phone.

But beyond the returns he makes charging people’s phones, comes with challenges that get Emma worried.

“Some of the customers intentionally bring their phones without batteries in them. The owners come back complaining their batteries are missing and as a result, i have pay for that.”

This has though Emma some lessons so he is very vigilant now. So when a customer hands over his or her phone, he double checks the battery compartment before charging.

Meanwhile, a private firm, Black Star Energy, is providing 14 kilowatts solar powered electricity to the community.

Director of Engineering and Construction for Black Star Energy, Richard Arthur says consumers will be given a prepaid meter and they would have to buy scratch vouchers to facilitate the use of the energy being provided.

This is expected to end the long standing access to electricity challenge and quicken economic activities, especially in the night.

Though positive, the inception of electricity means, Emma’s phone–charging business will be affected.

But Emma believes it will rather address the challenges he and his clients face.

“It will help me because though it will reduce the number of phones I charge, I will also reduce the amount i spend on fuel for my generator and I will not have to buy batteries to customers who take advantage of my business of charging the phones. I will be okay.”

Perhaps, he can concentrate on selling his provisions and toiletries whiles the community enjoys their new life.

 

 

Source:Myjoyonline