The Cisco Foundation Fuels Africa’s Clean Energy Transition

Africa’s Energy Gap and the Need for Sustainable Solutions

Africa is facing a significant energy shortfall, with over 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lacking access to electricity. This accounts for more than 80% of the global population without electricity. Expanding traditional energy grids to reach these remote and rural communities is challenging due to geographical and financial constraints. To address this issue, the focus has shifted towards distributed energy resources such as microgrids and off-grid solutions. Solar mini grids have emerged as a sustainable transformation solution, with an increasing number of installations in sub-Saharan Africa. By 2030, the cost of electricity from mini grids is expected to be as low as $0.20/kWh, making it the most affordable option for over 60% of the population, which aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 of universal energy access by 2030.