Africa is endowed with substantial energy resources, including billions of barrels of oil, trillions of cubic metres of natural gas, and leading global production of minerals such as cobalt and manganese used in electric vehicle batteries. Despite this wealth, hundreds of millions of people across the continent remain without reliable electricity.
Resource Riches and Access Gaps
Proven crude oil reserves in Africa stand at approximately 125 billion barrels, or 7.2 percent of the global total. Libya and Nigeria hold the largest shares, followed by Algeria, Angola, South Sudan, and Egypt. The continent also features significant gas reserves and dominates production of key transition minerals.
Energy ministers, investors, and executives are gathering this week in Cape Town for African Energy Week, running through October 16, to discuss these opportunities and challenges.
Electricity Access Across the Continent
In 2024, six countries reported universal electricity access: Algeria, Egypt, Mauritius, Morocco, Seychelles, and Tunisia. These nations are home to about 215 million people, roughly 14 percent of Africa’s population.
Access rates vary sharply elsewhere. South Sudan recorded just 5.4 percent, Malawi 15.6 percent, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo 22.5 percent—despite the DRC generating all its power from renewables. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, had a 62.5 percent access rate, leaving roughly 85 million people without electricity, the highest number of any single country.
Scale of the Deficit
More than 560 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity, accounting for about 86 percent of the global total, according to the World Health Organization. Recent reports from organizations including the IEA and others place the figure in a similar range, highlighting how population growth continues to offset gains in new connections in many areas.
Efforts such as the World Bank and African Development Bank’s Mission 300 initiative aim to connect 300 million more people by 2030 through grid expansion, mini-grids, and standalone systems, building on connections already delivered to tens of millions.