LICHTENBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – MAY 8: A man is seen near the Selemela Solar Power Plant is one of the … More largest solar power plants on the African continent that contributes to the country’s energy needs with renewable electricity generation from sunlight in Lichtenburg, South Africa on May 8, 2025. (Photo by Ihsaan Haffejee/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Anadolu via Getty Images
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has an energy funding deficit. As our new research points out (for which I must credit my colleagues Anne Louise Koefoed and Sujeetha Selvakkumara), SSA needs to spend $20 billion per year to supply its citizens with access to clean and affordable energy by 2030. Instead, this figure is closer to $8 billion annually, which is part of the reason nearly half the population lacks access to electricity. As its economy and population grows, its electricity demand will quadruple to 2100TWh…
