African countries that are plugged up with electricity supply

• Africa still has a low electrification rate of 45%, according to the International Energy Agency, whereas Asian nations have a higher rate of 94%
• Cape Verde has the highest household electricity prices in Africa, followed by Rwanda, Mali, Burkina Faso and Gabon
• Mauritius and North African countries have the highest electricity connection rates in Africa, with 100% power supply

Reliable power access is a key factor in the expansion and development of the economy.

Kenya is one of the African countries with the highest electricity access. Photo: Kenya Power. Source: UGC

Many African countries have improved their electrical infrastructure, giving their citizens access to stable power supply.

The International Energy Agency reported that Africa still has a low electrification rate of 45%, while Asian countries have a higher rate of 94%.

Which African countries have the highest electricity access?

1 Mauritius – 100%

Business Day noted Mauritius is one of Africa’s best performers, with all its citizens having electricity access.

The nation has made significant investments in renewable energy sources, including wind and solar power, to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels and provide a more sustainable power supply.

2. Egypt – 100%

In Egypt, all urban and rural citizens have access to electricity on a national level.

Most of Egypt’s electricity is produced by thermal and hydroelectric plants, making the country a pioneer in the renewable energy sector.

The country plans to export power to Europe, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

3. Morocco – 100%

Having 100% of its rural and urban population connected to the electrical grid, Morocco is among the most electrified countries in Africa.

The North African country is making progress towards increasing the share of renewable energy sources in the energy mix to 52% by 2030, mainly from solar and wind power.

4. Tunisia – 100%

Tunisia meets all of its domestic power consumption needs with 100% national electricity availability for both rural and urban areas.

The majority of the country’s electricity is obtained from natural gas, although long-term investments in renewable energy are planned, with a target share of 30% by 2023.

5. Algeria – 99.8%

Algeria is one of the most electrified countries in Africa, with a nationwide power availability rating of 99.8%, 99.6% in rural areas, and 99.9% in urban areas.

Natural gas accounts for 96% of the country’s installed capacity. The remaining 4% is provided by a combination of hydropower, wind, solar, and oil.

6. Gabon – 91.6%

Over 91% of Gabon’s population has access to power. However, the rate in rural areas stands at 27.8%, while 98.6% of people in urban areas have access to electricity.

Under the Gabon Emergent Policy, the Central African country plans to use a sustainable energy mix of biomass, natural gas, and hydropower to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and improve rural residents’ access to electricity.

7. Ghana – 85.9%

The main sources of energy in Ghana are hydropower, gas, and thermal energy.

Currently, 85.9% of the country’s population has access to electricity, with 94% of access occurring in urban areas and 74% in rural areas.

8. South Africa – 84.4%

Coal provides the majority of the energy used in South Africa. over 84 of the population has access to power, with 75.3% reported in rural regions and 88.8% in urban areas.

South Africa has been facing frequent power blackouts.

In order to reduce its reliance on coal and improve access, the country is expanding research and development in renewable energy sources and trying to diversify its energy sources.

9. Botswana – 72%

With 90.7% of urban areas and 26.4% of rural areas having access to electricity, the country’s overall power access rate is 72%.

The country is utilising its abundant wind and solar energy resources to accomplish its 2030 objective of having power available to all citizens.

10. Kenya – 71.4%

Kenya boasts the highest national electricity access rate in East Africa. Kenya’s energy mix consists of geothermal, wind, solar, hydropower, and biomass energy.

At least 94% of urban residents have access to electricity, while rural connections are at 62.7%.

Thabo Mbeki accuses Eskom of deliberately engineering loadshedding

Meanwhile, Briefly News reported that former president Thabo Mbeki blames the start of loadshedding on Eskom and slammed the state entity. Mbeki accused Eskom of purposefully engineering rolling blackouts from within its structures in 2008.

South Africans called him out and questioned why he was mentioning this information before the national elections.