NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Landmark fundraising deals by two of Africa's largest off-grid solar companies are raising hopes that private capital markets could become a major source of funding to help bring electricity to millions of homes lacking access to reliable power. Such strategies are fueling debate over whether Africa's off-grid solar sector has reached a financial turning point, attracting mainstream investors beyond its traditional base of donor agencies and development finance institutions. "They demonstrate the entry of a serious scale of commercial capital, investors and instruments not seen before in this sector," Swaroop said. Securitization allows solar firms to bundle future payments such as Pay-go receivables and sell them to investors to raise capital. "Many off-grid companies struggle to quantify and explain the portfolio quality data to investors in terms they understand."