MTN South Africa on Monday launched its new promotional package featuring World Panel’s SunStream, which allows users to stream electricity from the sun directly into their mobile devices.
Mr Hennie Botha, World Panel’s Managing Director for South Africa, made the disclosure in a statement by MTN made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
According to the statement, World Panel SunStream will keep MTN customers charged in energy-strapped region.
Sunstream, the world’s most efficient and durable micro-solar panel is made by a U.S. company and instantaneously converts sunlight into electricity and delivers it to your feature phone with a 99 per cent throughput rate.
It said that MTN/SunStream bundle carried a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about 219 South African Rand (R219) and included a SunStream and R20 free airtime on the MTN network.
It said that the promotional package was available at MTN stores in Mthatha, adding that SunStream was expected to roll out across South Africa soon.
“The SunStream was developed with exactly this customer in mind: someone who views his mobile device as a lifeline but lacks the power to keep it charged.
“The reliable, affordable power offered by the SunStream can be a game-changer, and we are therefore pleased to launch this bundle with MTN,’’ the statement said.
It added that the World Panel’s SunStream product line was introduced in the late 2015 after years in development.
It said that built to international standards; the new technology bypasses the need for chipsets or PC boards, which are notorious for breakage on typical solar charging devices.
The statement said the highly durable SunStream products would charge most feature phones at or near the same speed as a wall plug and could perform even while submerged in water.
It said that the new bundle was announced at an event in Mthatha with executives from MTN and World Panel Inc. present, with product demonstrations and branded promotion.
NAN reports that World Panel, Inc. is a triple-bottom line company (people, planet, profit) founded by solar expert and entrepreneur John Anderson.