RUSHES: Music: Akon interview

Music: Akon interview; Part 3 of 5ENGLAND: London: GIR:INTAkon (singer and entrepreneur) STUDIO INTERVIEW SOTPresenter SOT:"I wanna ask you al little bit about some of the things you do in Senegal and wider in Africa - You said a while ago that charity wasn't working in Africa and you started this solar lighting business - it is a business isn't it?"Akon (singer and entrepreneur) SOT:"Yes it is a business"Presenter SOT:"How successful has it been?"Akon (singer and entrepreneur) SOT:"-it's been actually very successful - I am very proud of it - I try to find myself getting into businesses that are more socially entrepreneurial - to basically not really getting into to business that doesn't have no specific purpose, but getting into business that actually impacts people and bringing things around their environment that helps people grow into a better light"Presenter SOT:"How many people are you bringing light to, using that business?"Akon (singer and entrepreneur) SOT:"(pauses) it's more of an impact number, I couldn't tell you exactly - I know for sure before we started the solar imitative in Africa there was no solar panels anywhere"Presenter SOT:"Now these aren't businesses in different African companies - they are profit driven aren't they?"Akon (singer and entrepreneur) SOT:"They are profit driven that's correct"Presenter SOT:"Some people say that's wrong - it should be a charity - it should be a social enterprise non-profit -"Akon (singer and entrepreneur) SOT:"Right"Presenter SOT:"What does the profit element of it bring to that business- in terms of its success"Akon (singer and entrepreneur) SOT:"Well the profit element creates jobs, it opens up the opportunity for industries - it gives Africa also the opportunity for people to be able to be able to create an opportunity to actually develop the country - Because energy you can't develop - And I think that's the reason why a l...