This article has been supplied.Africa’s ambitions for industrialisation, manufacturing, minerals beneficiation, digital transformation, expanded trade and job creation all depend on one fundamental requirement: access to sufficient, reliable and affordable energy.
As Africa seeks to accelerate economic growth, the relationship between energy and economic development has never been more important. The African Development Bank projects the continent’s economy to grow by 4.2% in 2026, following estimated growth of 4.4% in 2025, with 22 African economies having recorded growth rates above 5% in 2025.
Yet Africa’s ability to sustain and accelerate this growth will depend heavily on its capacity to develop the energy infrastructure required to power expanding economies.
Africa’s energy future will determine Africa’s economic future.
Energy sits behind almost every major economic ambition for the continent from industrialisation, mining and minerals beneficiation to manufacturing, agriculture, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, transport, trade and employment. This makes energy investment not simply an infrastructure requirement, but one of Africa’s most important economic development imperatives.
