Lusaka, 1 April 2025 – The Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA) has released the third edition of the Benchmarking Africa’s Minigrids Report, offering an in-depth analysis of Africa’s minigrid sector. The report, unveiled during the 8th Minigrid Action Learning Event in Lusaka, Zambia, highlights minigrid growth, challenges, and opportunities, and serves as a valuable resource for stakeholders in Africa’s minigrid sector.
Key findings include:
- Minigrid Costs – While global minigrid costs have decreased, deployment costs in Sub-Saharan Africa remain higher than other regions.
- Concessional Capital – The timely disbursement of concessional capital is essential for progress.
- New Financing Models – Innovative mechanisms like blended finance and renewable energy credits are complementing traditional financing.
- Regulatory Environment – While policy improvements are evident, regulatory gaps still impede scalability.
- Impact Metrics – Minigrids have a positive impact on livelihoods, business productivity, and job creation in rural communities.
Speaking during the launch of the report, AMDA CEO Olamide Niyi-Afuye said:
“The third edition of the Benchmarking Africa’s Minigrid Report arrives at a critical moment, as governments, investors, and industry stakeholders must intensify efforts to scale minigrids for Africa’s energy future. With data-driven insights and actionable recommendations, we aim to accelerate progress toward universal electrification.”
Jude Numfor, the CEO and Founder of REI-Cameroon said:
“The Benchmarking Africa’s Minigrids Report is a major achievement, helping us to see what is happening in the sector, and helping minigrid developers know where to go and where to put efforts.”
Anita Otubu, Senior Director at Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll) said:
“This report provides the most comprehensive, data-backed analysis of Africa’s minigrid industry—shedding light on costs, performance, and investment trends. By benchmarking real-world data from developers, the report gives us clear insights into what works, what does not, and where we need to improve.”
Energy access in sub-Saharan Africa remains persistently low. As of 2023, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that around 600 million people in the region lack electricity access, representing about 80% of the global population without access. These figures emphasize the ongoing challenges in achieving universal energy access and the urgent need for accelerated efforts to improve electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Benchmarking Africa’s Minigrid Report is a key milestone in the journey toward universal electrification in Africa. It offers valuable insights to drive investment, inform policy decisions, and scale up minigrid deployment to reach underserved communities. AMDA urges policymakers, financiers, and development partners to engage with the findings and collaborate to unlock the full potential of minigrids in Africa.
The full report is available for download at www.africamda.org
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Contact Information
Abraham Mudasia
+254 721 883842
About AMDA
The Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA) is an industry association formed by private sector minigrid developers and development partners dedicated to improving the political and financial environments for minigrid companies in Africa. AMDA serves as the unified voice for minigrid developers, working to accelerate their path to scale and sustainability in achieving universal access to sustainable, reliable, affordable, and modern energy across the continent. Currently, AMDA has 56 member companies operating in 24 African countries. Learn more about AMDA at africamda.org and follow us on LinkedIn and X.