Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa

This foundational three-part series from 2014 looks at sub-Saharan Africa's electricity generation and transmission capabilities, analyzing opportunities for growth. Part One gives an overview of power networks in West Africa. Part Two does the same for Southern Africa, and in Part Three we turn our attention to East Africa.

The East African electricity transmission network is perhaps the most fragmented in all of sub-Saharan Africa. The lack of connections between Sudan and Ethiopia, and between Ethiopia and Kenya, leaves significant gaps among the main electricity producers in the Eastern Africa Power Pool. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda currently conduct most of the power trading in East Africa.

Assessments Aug 20, 2014 | 09:04 GMTAug 20, 2014

Connecting East Africa

The East African electricity transmission network is perhaps the most fragmented in all of sub-Saharan Africa. But a number of projects are in the works to improve the region's interconnectivity.

Southern Africa's cluster of power grids is established in regard to transmission and generation infrastructure and the trading mechanisms that help balance localized shortages. South Africa is among the most stable and largest electricity producers in sub-Saharan Africa. Power grids in Southern Africa developed in large part due to the early influence of demands from the power-intensive copper mining industry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Zambia.

Assessments Aug 19, 2014 | 09:41 GMTAug 19, 2014

Southern Africa Looks to Develop Its Great Potential for Power Production

Power grids in Southern Africa developed in large part due to the early demands from the mining industry. Countries now hope to develop electricity markets characterized by competition as much as cooperation.

Though U.S. attention on Africa has been steady over the course of decades, the focus has tended to center on security threats or humanitarian interests. But Nigeria and West Africa has attracted considerable attention for its bid to expand domestic electricity output.

Assessments Aug 18, 2014 | 09:20 GMTAug 18, 2014

Powering Africa's Economies: Prospects for Growth in Electricity Markets

Several significant power production projects are underway in Africa. In West Africa, however, national grids are poorly interconnected, limiting opportunities to optimize electricity distribution and trade.

Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa

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