Africa is currently experiencing an energy crisis, where 600 million people on the continent live without access to electricity, and 1 billion citizens across the continent who have no access to clean cooking — meaning they have to cook their food over open flames or with rudimentary stoves, directly threatening their health and the health of the environment due to the emission of smoke and harmful fumes. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way since Africa is excellently primed to transition to renewable energy — a move that will not only provide citizens with access to electricity, but will also be better for the environment in the face of the climate crisis. But while Africa is home to 60% of the best solar resources globally — in addition to ample hydropower, geothermal, and wind potential — the International Energy Agency estimates that just 4% of the world’s investment in energy is going to the continent. This means that, while Africa has the natural resources to propel a transition to clean energy, the continent is not attracting the financial resources it needs to make this vital change happen. 

This inequity has the power to perpetuate poverty as a lack of energy directly impacts things like citizens’ access to quality education, where children don’t have to learn in the dark; adequate healthcare, where facilities are well-powered to tend to those in need; decent work opportunities, where energy access sustains the quality of production and employment; and so much more. It also hinders business and innovation, productivity and prosperity, restricting economic development at local, regional, and national levels.

With Africa’s population set to double by 2050, energy demand is set to increase exponentially. But without the scale of financing needed to bridge the investment gap, a huge opportunity for the continent’s socioeconomic development will be lost.

Africa’s Energy Opportunity

There is a strong correlation between the increased use of electricity, particularly driven from renewable energy sources, and GDP growth. For every dollar invested in renewable energy, an additional $0.93 can be generated.

This is why Global Citizen, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, with the policy support of the International Energy Agency, have launched a joint campaign:“Scaling Up Renewables in Africa” — the aim of which is to reach the global target of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030.

For Africa to reach this goal and its climate and energy commitments, we will need to quadruple renewable energy capacity in the continent by 2030. We can achieve this for instance by deploying 60 million solar panels annually, expanding hydro, wind, and clean cooking solutions and training up to 500,000 energy workers, engineers, and technicians across the continent.

The campaign encourages the public and private sector to commit new resources for this critical effort and shine a spotlight on the huge, uncapitalized opportunity for renewable energy in Africa. 

Over the next six months, we will leverage Global Citizen’s platforms to highlight new commitments toward this campaign. We will be starting with Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla, which is convening world leaders, advocates, and changemakers on the eve of the United Nations Fourth Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) on July 29 in Sevilla. 

The campaign emphasizes local participation and community empowerment, particularly focusing on youth. This is why we have recruited an inspiring cohort of Global Citizen Fellows across Africa with expertise in energy, advocacy, and community mobilization. They will help us amplify local voices and build youth and grassroots momentum around the campaign. You can meet our fellows and learn more about the campaign at the Youth Energy Summit, which is taking place alongside the Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town from June 17-19, 2025.

The campaign will culminate in apledging event on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, in November 2025. Global Citizen will bring its iconic Global Citizen NOW format to Africa for the first time, convening leaders from government, philanthropy, media, entertainment, and the private sector for an impactful event focused on energy transition and the eradication of energy poverty across the continent.

But we need your engagement, voice, and actions to call on governments, the private sector, and banks to step up. Take action today to call for more investment in renewable energy in Africa. Together, we can ensure electricity enables the continent and its people to reach their full potential.