Making power affordable for Africa and viable for its utilities

A new World Bank study outlines how Sub-Saharan Africa’s struggling power utilities can be financially viable and at the same time make electricity access affordable for the poor. Currently, only one in three Africans has access to electricity and for those who do, power outages can be common as cash-strapped utilities struggle to maintain steady, reliable supply because of lack of investment in their aging infrastructure. The study, entitled “Making Power Affordable for Africa and Viable for Its Utilities,” looked at utility financial statements in 39 African countries, spending data in 22 household surveys, and power tariffs in another 39 countries.