In South Africa 94% of the population has access to electricity, but many African countries do not generate enough electricity to meet their needs.
The International Energy Agency estimates that in 2023 only about half the population of sub-Saharan African countries had access to electricity, so it’s clear that the amount of electricity generated needs to increase significantly.
Countries like Benin, Botswana, Djibouti, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and Niger, import electricity.
“African countries have immense solar potential and most of it is untapped,” said Dave Jones, Ember’s chief analyst. “Enabling African countries with affordable financing can unleash their solar potential and help provide reliable and secure power supply in the region.”
At present, hydropower is the main source of low-carbon electricity in Africa, generating 17% of the continent’s electricity.