Notwithstanding its significant advantages in terms of renewable power production, Africa’s energy story has been marred by glacial progress and systemic bottlenecks. This paradox has led many to question why a continent that always seems to be at the cusp of catapulting itself into a new epoch of growth and prosperity is always held back.
In the power industry, one of the key regressive factors that has arrested Africa’s energy growth has been its transmission system bottlenecks. Areas possessing robust wind, hydro, and solar resources – amongst the highest in the world – have been left incapacitated, with no pylons or transmission lines to leverage said potential. Over the last decade, the asymmetric distribution of private investments, with a disproportionate figure flowing towards generation assets, has begotten an awry energy regime marked by a glaring lack of transmission capacity.
All this can, however, change. If anachronistic utilities are reformed, steadily unbundled, and subsequently supported through opportune public-private partnership frameworks, we can surely expect consistent gains. Some countries have already started on this path; South Africa, especially, seems poised to seize the moment. This article delves deeper into how the systematic unbundling of Eskom, South Africa’s power utility company, coupled with a potential World Bank program around the creation of a credit guarantee vehicle to shore up private investment support in South Africa’s transmission sector, can serve as a roadmap for other African nations to take steps towards energy security.
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