Business

Power and Energy

Year of birth

1984

Simbarashe is the founder and Managing Director of Oxygen Energy, an independent power producer and renewable energy development company specialising in utility power plants and commercial rooftop projects. In 2017, Oxygen Energy got a US$965 000 grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB) managed Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA). This grant was to support the preparation of a bankable business case for the development of a 20MW off grid solar photovoltaic rooftop project. The project will be done on buildings owned and managed by Old Mutual Property Group and will target a total 246 buildings. It is expected to cost US$28 million and is envisaged to save Zimbabwe up to $45 million in import substitutions of power per year. It will also avoid 30 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission per year.

Notably, Simbarashe was invited to brief Russian President Vladimir Putin on his solar project in 2017. He describes his company as not just a solar company but an asset management financing business. Simba has also been invited to attend or speak at various entrepreneurship gatherings all over the world. Most recently, he was a judge at the Total Startupper of the Year Competition in Zimbabwe.

Achievements

Simba has achieved a lot in his short journey. Some of his achievements include;

  • Forbes Magazine Africa’s 30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs (2016 and 2018)
  • Member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Entrepreneurship (2018 – 2019)
  • Institut Choiseul of France named him one of Africa’s 200 Economic Leaders of Tomorrow (2018)
  • African Innovation Summit Top 50 Innovations in Africa in 2018.
  • com named him among 40 Africans Under 40 – Making it in Africa (2017)
  • Africa Youth Awards Top 100 Most Influential Young Africans of the Year (2016)
  • Afk Insider Magazine named him among 12 Most Promising Entrepreneurs (2016)

Simba’s entrepreneurial journey continues. However, not much is known about his other business interests, if any.