African nations continue to hold the unenviable position of being disproportionately vulnerable to climate change. Although the continent accounts for the smallest share of global greenhouse gas emissions – only 3.8% – it’s already heating faster than the rest of the world.

Over the last decade off-grid energy companies delivered clean, renewable & affordable power to 470 million people, creating 370,000 jobs and avoiding 74 million metric tons of GHG emissions. Investment had increased six-fold between 2012 and 2017. Yet even with the growth of the sector, energy access companies were operating on razor-thin margins.

The Africa Energy Futures report sets out the conclusions and observations of DLA Piper Africa’s lawyers in 21 jurisdictions across the continent in relation to the future of energy in Africa, all within a 2030 horizon. The report’s country chapters show a number of discernible trends:

The analysis presents private investments as the solution and an adequate regulatory framework as a pre-condition. Africa’s electricity grids are characterised by infrastructural flaws, inefficiency and limited coverage, preventing universal access to electricity and hampering the continent’s development.