MCS Group

Building telecom towers MCS Angola saw firsthand how much dirty diesel was used to power the expanding mobile networks. This sparked their business in optimizing power usage and solar energy in the telecom sector.

Angola’s economy has been tied to global oil demand, but hydropower dominates the local energy supply (62% of the energy mix). However, the distribution of this clean energy across the country, twice the size of France, remains poor.

That’s why telecom operators use multiple generators to power their telecom towers. “They use massive amounts of diesel,” says MCS CEO Ryan Ellerker, who started the service provider for telecom and data providers in 2009. 

The company offers a wide range of integrated power solutions, custom-made for the telecom market in remote African conditions. For example, battery storage, solar power and power distribution.  

Refuelling the generators and maintenance in rural and remote areas is also difficult. Power outages regularly disrupt the phone networks. “Maintenance gets low priority in the middle of nowhere,” says Ellerker.

Gap in the market
“I like to build and develop, Angola needs so much  development,” says Ellerker. “For us, it was always about infrastructure, helping telecom operators expand their base 
infrastructure across Angola. But then we saw how badly fuel was used. Optimizing old systems and introducing solar was a gap in the market.”

By installing one of MCS’s power systems including batteries, sensors and operational software, clients reported a 60 to 65% reduction in fuel consumption at each site. Adding solar power was next. “We have now sites that consume 90% less diesel because the system prioritizes  solar power,” says Ellerker. And solar panels need nowhere near as much maintenance as generators.
 
“We want our staff to be part of our future.”
For a technology business, training staff and clients is critical. MCS is completing a new training center and it is already booked ‘flat out’. “Our focus on training sets us 
apart,” says the CEO. “If you do not train the staff on the ground, it won’t work.”
 
MCS invests in its staff, paying above-market-rate wages and focusing on a solid working environment. This helps to keep staff motivated and ensures that the company is not losing staff. 

“We have various examples of staff who started as security guards or cleaners, who have now completed their basic schooling and have progressed through the ranks to become competent electricians, riggers, drivers and warehouse managers,” says Ellerker. 

Since its start, MCS has grown to 57 staff and depending  on the projects it hires 60 to 100 temporary staff in some  of the most remote corners of Angola.XSML Capital provided a three-year loan in 2023 under African Rivers Fund III to finance the need for working capital.