Africa has an electricity problem, and grids are failing to solve it. The African Development Bank (AfDB) says 620 million people on the continent lack access to electricity, with the whole continent having less than 100GW installed grid-based capacity. Much of that, notably in South Africa, is creaking. “The utility companies agree that 100% universal grid penetration is not possible or feasible and there is an increasing and tightening embrace of off-grid power technologies,” says Jackson Machuhi, MD of Barefoot Power, a provider of solar lighting and phone charging products.

Solar solutions are at the heart of this. The industry in Africa has grown from nothing over the past few years, says Koen Peters, executive director of the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA), as the serious cost benefits become clear. Off-grid solar is expected to increase further. A recent report released by the World Bank Group and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), in collaboration with GOGLA, predicted sales of off-grid solar products in emerging markets will hit $3.1 billion in the next five years.