Solar energy company Sun King unveiled a refreshed brand identity at Sheraton Four Points today, launching its “Switch to More” campaign as it seeks to expand market share in Uganda’s growing off-grid energy sector.
The rebrand introduces a modernized lion logo and expanded color palette, moving beyond the company’s signature yellow to include blues and oranges. The visual changes accompany Sun King’s push into new product categories including high-capacity inverters, pay-as-you-go smartphones, and solar-powered televisions.
“We have been in business for the last 15 years and it is time to switch it up,” said Marianne Arigye, Sun King’s head of marketing. “We’ve made it more caviar, more contemporary and more resonating to our current customer.”
The rebranding effort comes as Sun King faces increased competition in Uganda’s solar market. However, Country Business Leader Peter Mugwanya dismissed concerns about competitive pressure.
“It’s not about overcoming competition. We are all working together, Uganda is a big market,” Mugwanya said. “The beauty with Sunking is that our product is reliable, our product is affordable and our product is a product someone will have in their house for the next 15 years, the next 20 years.”
Since entering Uganda in 2017, Sun King has established 15 locations and reached 290,000 customers through a network of over 1,000 sales agents. The company installs over 300,000 new systems monthly across its global operations, having powered 24 million households to date.
The company’s business model centers on its “EasyBuy” pay-as-you-go system, requiring customers to pay approximately 5% upfront before making weekly payments. Sun King provides free installation and ongoing customer service for all products.
“Once we sell to your product or you take a product on the pay you go, what you call easy buy in our business, we install this product for you,” Mugwanya explained. “So we do that end-to-end customer service at no charge.”
The expansion comes amid broader challenges in Uganda’s solar sector, including concerns about product quality and market regulation. Mugwanya called on government authorities to strengthen oversight at import points.
“Having unreliable solar products on the market is a very big problem, and this is where we call upon government, because government is the one that regulates, to make sure that at the point of entry, they regulate these products, test them,” he said.
Sun King plans to expand to more than 25 locations by April next year. The company’s product range now includes everything from basic lanterns to inverters capable of powering hospitals and schools, targeting both grid-connected and off-grid communities.
Arigye emphasized the need for increased awareness about solar energy’s benefits, particularly in rural areas where grid connectivity remains limited.
“What we need to do more is create visibility and understanding of what solar is. What the advantages of having solar brings to you as a family, as a community, as a school,” she said.
The company maintains its focus on affordability and reliability as key differentiators in an increasingly crowded market, with executives expressing confidence in their product quality and customer service approach.
