For years, global investors looked past the Democratic Republic of Congo. But in 2025, Washikala Malango proved they were wrong. His company, Altech, demonstrated that the DRC isn’t just a challenging market, it’s the next frontier for renewable energy that actually scales and turns a profit. What began in 2013 as a two-person operation in South Kivu has grown into a national powerhouse, succeeding where many large international organizations have stumbled.
Malango’s leadership this year cemented Altech as the clear leader in the Congolese market. With an $18 million growth facility, the company accelerated its unique “pay-as-you-go” network, reaching all 23 provinces. The real story, however, is a strategic shift: from distributing products to building infrastructure. After proving that electric motorcycles could beat petrol taxis on cost and durability, Altech launched its first e-Mobility Service Centers in Goma and Kinshasa.
The impact, however, is measured in more than milestones. Altech reached a significant milestone: distributing its one millionth energy product, bringing light and clean cooking to over five million people. Behind the scenes, its technology did something equally powerful, using credit scoring to open financial doors for thousands of families for the very first time.
Perhaps the most elegant innovation is how it all connects. By weaving together clean cooking and e-mobility, Altech created a circular energy economy that’s already saving Congolese families millions in fuel costs.
Washikala Malango did more than grow a solar company. He built a new kind of decentralised utility, one that creates thousands of local jobs, helps protect vital forests, and is quietly redesigning how one of Africa’s largest nations powers its future.
