Simbarashe Mhuriro is Building Zimbabwe’s Largest Solar Company, Oxygen Africa
Simbarashe Mhuriro founded Oxygen Africa a renewable energy development company focused on commercial and industrial rooftop solar photovoltaic projects and utility scale power plants and rooftop projects. Mhuriro founded the company in 2009 as an investment advisory company to help facilitate foreign investors in Zimbabwe, particularly with interests in precious metals, ICT and agriculture.
In 2013, Oxygen Africa partnered with Swiss-based Meeco Group a renewable energy company, to establish Oursun Energy Zimbabwe – a joint venture Independent Power Producer that specializes in the development, building, owning, and operating of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) energy projects in Zimbabwe. Oxygen Africa has since raised $7 million and is currently developing two 5MW grid-connected solar plants in Zimbabwe.
Oxygen Africa has received support from the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, National Project Status from the Ministry of Finance and Economic development and a climate Action Endorsement from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate for driving and championing quite a number of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; Climate Action, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Sustainable Cities and Communities and Responsible Consumption and Production. The company has also received a letter of recognition from the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat’s Momentum for Change Initiative.
In 2016, Mhuriro was named one of Africa’s 30 most promising and inspirational young entrepreneurs in Africa by Forbes Magazine and in the same year, AFK Insider Magazine named him among 12 Most Promising African Entrepreneurs of 2016 while in 2017 Africa.com named him among 40 Africans Under 40 – Making it in Africa.
He has also been recognized by the Africa Youth Awards as one of 100 most influential Young Africans of the year. In 2018, Mhuriro became a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Entrepreneurship for 2018 – 2019 and the Shared Value Africa Initiative’s Africa Council of 8. He continually works to invent and improve sustainable energy.
