Solar installations like the Power Africa-supported Gigawatt Global Solar Field in Rwanda, the first utility-scale solar facility in East Africa, offer a path to clean energy solutions across Africa.

Photo: Rachel Couch for Power Africa

Leveraging Partnerships to Increase Access to Power in sub-Saharan Africa

Two out of three people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity. In 2013, Power Africa was launched, bringing together technical and legal experts, the private sector, and governments from around the world to work in partnership to increase the number of people with access to power.

The Goal

Power Africa’s goal is to add more than 30,000 megawatts (MW) of cleaner, more efficient electricity generation capacity and 60 million new home and business connections.

Strength in Partnership

Our goals are ambitious, but achievable because we work in partnership. Power Africa brings together the world’s top companies, political leaders, and financial institutions to help overcome Africa’s energy crisis. Power Africa uses collective problem solving to enable African leaders to pave their own future.

To learn more about our partners visit: https://www.usaid.gov/powerafrica/partners.

How We Work

Power Africa is connecting the African population to the electricity grid, and providing access to those who live beyond it. Our unique approach is defined by:

• Transaction Focus: In sub-Saharan Africa, a power project can stall for a variety of reasons. By addressing the critical impediments that hinder progress of a particular deal, we create a ripple effect for other deals facing similar issues in the country. Our approach to reforming Africa’s energy sector is to tackle one power project at a time.
• On-the-Ground Support: Power Africa’s in-country advisors identify the technical, financial, and political solutions needed to facilitate faster access to power for local communities, major cities, and regional power pools. They work closely with our partners to provide and implement these solutions.
• Bridging the Financing Gap: The funding needed to electrify sub-Saharan Africa far surpasses the funding available from African governments and foreign donors. Our aim is to de-risk investments so that public and private investors will fund the projects that drive systemic reforms.
• African-led Reform: Africa’s power sector will not advance without policy reforms and improved governance. Our teams work with African governments to fill critical skills gaps and engage in diplomatic dialogues that drive reform. Our institutional and human resource network on the African continent will build and maintain the power sector for generations to come.
• Working Beyond the Grid: Off-grid solutions are oftentimes the quickest way to increase access to the most vulnerable and remote communities. With numerous investors and partners committed to finding small-scale and off-grid renewable energy solutions, this collaboration will provide millions of people access to reliable and sustainable electricity for the first time.
• Empowering and Powering Women: Promoting gender equality and female empowerment is a critical component of our work. We support projects, programs and policies that intentionally strive to reduce gender inequalities and promote effective engagement of both men and women in sub-Saharan Africa.

Power Africa is our signal to African governments, citizens, businesses, and the world that we are committed to working with our African partners to remove the obstacles that stand in the way of opportunity. Through the power of partnership, we can and will ensure a brighter future for all. See what we’ve already accomplished and join us at www.usaid.gov/powerafrica.