Affordable solar-powered hearing aids with repair services and children’s hearing screenings

Deaftronics in Botswana sells solar-rechargeable hearing aids assembled by workers with disabilities. By 2023, it sold 7,500 units and partnered with WHO and UNICEF for expansion across Africa.

Deaftronics (Pty) Ltd, founded by a Botswana entrepreneur, sells low-cost, solar-rechargeable hearing aids assembled locally by people with disabilities. The hearing aids are supported by hearing screenings for young children at $1 per person as well as a repair service. Since the launch, sales have grown to 7,500 units in 2023. Deaftronics, partnering with WHO and UNICEF, operates on venture capital and expands through licensing agreements with micro-entrepreneurs in East and West Africa.

Problems Targeted

High costs and limited availability of hearing aids, especially in rural areas, restrict access for many individuals who need them.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

Deaftronics (Pty) Ltd, founded in Botswana in 2019, is a venture-capital-based social business that collaborates with organizations such as WHO and UNICEF. The company produces and distributes low-cost, solar-rechargeable hearing aids, which are assembled locally, including by many individuals with disabilities, particularly those with hearing impairments. The business model involves licensing agreements with micro-entrepreneurs who are trained and supported to distribute the hearing aids. These micro-entrepreneurs receive training in assembling and repairing devices, as well as in sales, marketing, and budgeting, and are integrated into the wider Deaftronics network. The company also engages in community activities, for example, using calibrated mobile phones and headsets to conduct low-cost hearing tests in remote areas where access to audiologists and traditional testing equipment is limited. Deaftronics partners with Solar Ear, a Zero Project Awardee, in product development, research, and marketing. Solar Ear serves the markets in North, Central, and South America, while Deaftronics focuses on the African and Asian markets. Together, they have developed the mDREET application, which offers real-time hearing tests.

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

Total revenue has grown from $250,000 in 2020 to $750,000 in 2023. Deaftronics plans to expand into East and West Africa and work with governmental agencies and international organizations. The Solar Powered Hearing Aids package, including a solar charger, hearing aid, and four rechargeable batteries, sells for $100. Hearing screenings cost $1. Repair services contribute 10 per cent of revenue, while training services account for 15 per cent. Deaftronics is seeking angel investors, corporate investors, and venture capital to support growth. Its microfinance approach helps replicate and scale the project in other regions, empowering local entrepreneurs and promoting accessibility and economic benefits. (Zero Project Awardee 2025)

Pictures

Deaftronic's solar powered hearing aids are assembled locally by people with disabilities.

Deaftronic's solar powered hearing aids are assembled locally by people with disabilities.

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