AfriGas and MiKashBoks have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at making clean cooking products more affordable and accessible to households and businesses across Sierra Leone through a flexible savings arrangement.
The partnership will use MiKashBoks’ “Save to Buy” feature, allowing customers to gradually save towards the purchase of eligible AfriGas products instead of paying the entire cost upfront.
Under the arrangement, customers can select an AfriGas product of their choice, determine a savings plan that suits their financial circumstances and make regular deposits through the MiKashBoks platform. Once the required savings target has been reached, the customer can collect the selected product.
Among the clean cooking solutions available is AfriGas’ 6kg complete set, designed to provide households with a cleaner, safer and more efficient alternative for preparing meals.
The two companies said the initiative responds to the financial challenges that can prevent some Sierra Leoneans from making the initial investment required to adopt Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for cooking.
Rather than relying on credit or taking on debt, the “Save to Buy” model provides customers with a structured and transparent mechanism to plan and save towards acquiring essential household products.
The partnership also brings together AfriGas’ clean cooking solutions and MiKashBoks’ digital financial services, with both companies expressing their commitment to advancing financial inclusion while broadening access to modern cooking energy.
Speaking on the partnership, MiKashBoks Founder, Salton Massally, said the platform was established on the principle that consistent saving could enable individuals and families to achieve important financial goals.
“MiKashBoks was built on the belief that consistent saving can help people achieve meaningful financial goals. Through our partnership with AfriGas, customers can now turn small, regular deposits into products that improve their everyday lives,” Salton Massally said.
He added that the collaboration would help households plan their finances more effectively while gaining access to cleaner cooking solutions without facing the pressure of making a large one-time payment.
“Together, we’re helping households plan better, save smarter and access cleaner cooking solutions without financial pressure,” Salton Massally stated.
AfriGas Chief Executive Officer, Sahid Swaid, described the partnership as another step towards making safe and reliable clean cooking products available to more people across Sierra Leone.
“At AfriGas, our mission is to make safe and reliable clean cooking products accessible to more Sierra Leoneans. Partnering with MiKashBoks allows us to reach customers in a way that matches how they already manage their finances,” Sahid Swaid said.
According to Sahid Swaid, the “Save to Buy” initiative provides customers with a practical route towards owning clean cooking equipment while supporting AfriGas’ wider objective of expanding access to LPG and other clean cooking solutions throughout the country.
Customers interested in participating can begin saving by downloading the MiKashBoks application or dialling *352#, selecting the “Save to Buy” option and choosing an eligible AfriGas product.
AfriGas is one of Sierra Leone’s providers of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, supplying cooking energy solutions to households, businesses and institutions. Through its distribution network, the company seeks to increase the adoption of cleaner cooking methods while promoting safer and more sustainable energy use.
MiKashBoks, meanwhile, is a digital finance platform licensed by the Bank of Sierra Leone. The platform provides users with access to savings and other financial services through mobile channels, including its Android application, USSD and WhatsApp.
The companies believe the partnership could help address two important challenges simultaneously: improving access to formal financial services and reducing the financial barriers associated with transitioning to cleaner cooking technologies.
By enabling customers to make smaller deposits over time towards a predetermined product, the initiative is expected to provide households with greater flexibility in managing their income while working towards acquiring cleaner and safer cooking equipment.
