Africa’s Next Energy Breakthrough Could Be the Grid That Connects It

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Africa’s next energy breakthrough may not come from building more power stations alone, but from strengthening the electricity networks that connect countries and enable power to flow across borders.

As electricity demand rises and industrialisation accelerates, regional power pools are emerging as critical drivers of energy security, enabling countries to share resources, improve supply reliability and create broader markets for electricity producers.

In September 2026, the African Union Commission convened the inaugural meeting of the African Single Electricity Market’s High-Level Technical Oversight Committee in Addis Ababa, advancing efforts to integrate national electricity markets and expand cross-border power trading.

Progress is already evident. Fourteen countries are interconnected through the West African Power Pool, while the Eastern Africa Power Pool recorded approximately 3,200 GWh of electricity trading in 2024, an elevenfold increase since 2010. Southern Africa also operates a competitive regional electricity market through the Southern African Power Pool.

Flag of the African Union. Source: Wikipedia