Who Really Controls Africa’s Solar Switch?

Foreign investments dominate Africa’s solar projects, but are local communities gaining control, or is history repeating itself?

The Sunny Side of Power

Sounds of joy from Hakwata village in Zimbabwe could be heard across Africa, as the community celebrated the launch of a new 200-kW solar microgrid and 900 kWh battery system in October 2024. Numerous Africans experiencing limited power supply would be jealous of this feat, which stemmed from an ingenious initiative funded by the Climate Adaption Water and Energy Programme. This project, not funded by local stakeholders but by foreign investors, raises questions about Africa's solar revolution truly empowering its people or risking another chapter in the continent's long history of resource exploitation.

Africa's renewable energy projects remain important in shaping the continent's geopolitical and economic future. Expanding renewable energy infrastructure could improve energy access for millions of Africans currently without electricity, driving economic activities in rural and urban areas. These developments face battles for control between global corporations and external investors, while local governments and communities seek to reclaim ownership for sustainable empowerment.

Energy access is vital for sustainable development across Africa, where over 600 million people lack reliable electricity connections, predominantly in. . .