Fatima Al-Zahra Al Bakr

A Moroccan renewable energy entrepreneur leading solar innovation across Africa

Fatima Al-Zahra Al Bakr is a visionary Moroccan engineer and entrepreneur who has made transformative contributions to renewable energy access in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2021, she founded Sahara Power Group, a company dedicated to deploying affordable solar solutions in rural regions lacking grid infrastructure. Her flagship initiative, the Sunlight for Schools program, has electrified over 800 educational institutions across Mali, Niger and Chad by 2024, directly impacting 500,000 students.

Bakr's innovation lies in her hybrid business model combining modular solar kits with blockchain-based microfinance systems. This approach allows communities to pay via mobile money for energy services while building credit histories. Her TED Talk Energy Equity for All (2023) has garnered 2.3 million views, highlighting how distributed energy systems can empower marginalized populations.

Key partnerships include the UNDP's Sustainable Energy Accelerator and the African Development Bank's Scaling Solar initiative. By 2025, Sahara Power's Women Energy Entrepreneurs Network had trained 3,500 local technicians, 70% female, creating sustainable livelihoods through decentralized energy systems. Bakr was named one of Forbes Africa's 2023 Top 100 Innovators and received the 2024 Global Clean Energy Leadership Award from the World Future Energy Summit.