Long before sunrise in the tightly packed alleys of Mathare, one of Nairobi’s well-known informal settlements, a single bulb glowing from a tin-roofed home signals the beginning of Agnes Mbesa’s day. For years, the mother of three depended on kerosene lamps that filled her house with smoke. Today, electricity powers both her home and the small shop she runs from her veranda.
“Before the power came, we closed early because it was too dark,” she said. “Now people come even at night, and I can earn something.”
Hundreds of kilometres away in Sori, western Kenya, fisherman Samuel Oketch tells a similar story. The arrival of a solar mini-grid in his village meant he could finally buy a freezer to store his daily catch. Fish that previously had to be sold in a hurry—often at giveaway prices—can now be preserved and taken to markets in nearby towns.
“These small changes mean a lot,” he said. “Electricity gives us options. My wife can now sell fish without being at the mercy of brokers who had the freezers.”
Major pledges to tackle Africa’s energy gap
Their stories highlight how electrification—funded through philanthropy, government programmes and multilateral institutions—is reshaping livelihoods across the continent. Yet the challenge remains immense. More than 730 million people globally still lack electricity, with Africa accounting for roughly 600 million of that number. Limited access continues to affect healthcare delivery, education outcomes, digital inclusion and job creation.
Momentum is growing. In March, the European Investment Bank announced over $1.15 billion in new financing for renewable energy projects across sub-Saharan Africa, including hydropower, wind, solar and grid expansion.
“This funding is Europe’s commitment to provide cleaner, more affordable, and reliable energy for hundreds of millions of people in Africa,” said Nadia Calviño, President of the European Investment Bank.
Also in March, the Rockefeller Foundation committed an additional $10 million at the Africa Energy Indaba in Cape Town to support electrification programmes in at least 15 African countries. The funding, deployed through the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, aims to strengthen national energy frameworks and drive reforms.
“African governments are choosing to transform their energy sectors by committing to national energy compacts and investing in African-led solutions,” said William Asiko, the foundation’s senior vice president.
Driving sustainable expansion through innovation
These fresh investments form part of Mission 300, an initiative of the World Bank and the African Development Bank that targets 300 million new electricity connections in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. The programme adopts both grid-based expansion and decentralised approaches, such as solar mini-grids and off-grid systems capable of powering individual households.
Mini-grids, often solar-powered, have become essential in areas where national grids are weak or non-existent. Off-grid kits—stand-alone systems that directly power homes—are helping bridge the gaps in remote communities.
Under Mission 300, countries like Malawi and Liberia are receiving technical support for national energy plans, expanded transmission networks and improved distribution systems. In Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Senegal, support includes local currency financing and pooled procurement to reduce project costs.
Andrew Herscowitz, CEO of the Mission 300 Accelerator at RF Catalytic Capital, stressed the need for consistent funding and stronger execution capacity. “Energy access is key to unlocking human potential and economic development,” he said.
Evidence of progress
Kenya offers a vivid example of what sustained investment can achieve. Backed by the World Bank, the African Development Bank and other partners, the country’s Last Mile Connectivity Programme has pushed rural electricity access to about 68 per cent in 2023—up from under 7 per cent in 2010. The project targets homes situated near existing transformers, particularly in rural and low-income communities.
For households like Mbesa’s in Mathare, the programme provided free electricity connections, covering the standard $115 fee. In remote regions such as Oketch’s village, the initiative integrated off-grid solutions including mini-grids and stand-alone solar systems.
For Mbesa, the transformation is immediate and personal. Extended opening hours mean more income, and her children now study under proper lighting.
“Electricity changes everything,” she said. “Once you have it, life starts moving forward.”
