Utilities and Infrastructure

Africa faces a huge electricity demand challenge. Existing infrastructure is insufficient to meet current requirements, installed power capacity is expected to rise from 2012’s 90GW to 380GW in 2040 in sub-Saharan Africa. Nonetheless 530 million people, primarily in rural communities, are expected to remain without power. An era of rapid technological change is also coming at a pivotal time in the expansion of African power infrastructure.

Sub-Saharan African water utilities have been able to slowly improve water coverage , but overall piped water coverage stands at only 15 percent. Access to sewer services is in its infancy in Africa, with very few utilities providing such services. Africa needs $20 billion dollars for achieving the Water and Sanitation Sustainable Development Goals in 2030; that is three folds to current investment in the sector. Similarly, achieving universal access in electricity by 2030 will require annual investments of $1 billion a year at minimum.