Gulf nations bet big on Africa's energy future

September 03, 2025

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Qatar, one of the world's largest energy exporters, is shifting its strategy from being a fossil fuel exporter to a key player in Africa's renewable energy sector. Its leadership has taken a direct role and made visits that secured billion-dollar investment deals across six African countries. It joins other Gulf nations in competing to bridge Africa’s vast infrastructure gap.

  • Al Mansour Holdings, one of Qatar’s leading conglomerates, has announced plans to invest $103 billion (!!) across six African countries, with a significant share directed toward energy projects. 

  • While not all the funding will go directly into energy projects, it could boost critical adjacent sectors such as mining, telecommunications, agriculture and tourism, in turn creating more energy demand.

  • Our take: African countries stand to benefit from better deals with increased competition… Read more (2 min)

The Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) has announced plans to expand and rehabilitate the national grid for the 2025/26 fiscal year. They hope to achieve a 30% reduction in power interruptions and a 38% decrease in outage duration. The move is a direct response to growing public frustration over persistent electricity disruptions across the country.

  • Africa’s largest obstacle in enhancing energy access remains outdated infrastructure, especially in rural areas where many still lack reliable electricity. Targeting the grid is an opportunity to mitigate this challenge.

  • Ethiopia’s grid suffers from 23% transmission losses and frequent collapses, hindering economic development despite abundant renewable potential.

  • Our take: EEU's infrastructure focus represents a critical acknowledgement that generation alone cannot solve energy poverty… Read more (2 min)

Floating solar panels secured their first financing since the start of 2025, marking their entry into our funding database, while hydropower received a boost through rehabilitation funding. Together, the two accounted for just 3% of the total $3.1 billion in August funding. Grid infrastructure continued to dominate, attracting more than half of the total.

  • About 1.5 GW of floating solar projects are currently under development across Africa, but the continent has the potential to generate over 100 GW from its freshwater reservoirs alone.

  • Refurbishing old hydropower plants could also generate at least 1.6 GW of baseload power, enough to supply electricity to more than 1.5 million households. The latest finding data suggests there is hope.

  • Our take: Grid infrastructure is the hinge of energy solutions and will continue to attract big funding… Read more (2 min)

Andrew Herscowitz (First from right), CEO of the Mission 300 Accelerator, meets the first cohort of Mission 300 fellows in Nairobi, Kenya

Events

🗓️ Sign up for the 6th Power System Protection Summit (Sep 16)

🗓️ Be part of  the Battery Metals Forum in DRC  (Sep 29)

🗓️ Join in the SAEEC Conference  (Oct 2)

Jobs

👩🏻‍💼 Apply to become Mercy Corps’ Program Director (Kenya)

👨🏽‍💼 Become SunCulture’s Project Manager (Kenya)

💼 Join Globeleq’s team as a Manager: Asset Optimisation (South Africa)

Various 

🤝 Norfund backs MOPO’s clean energy charge with $6 million

💵 Revital Healthcare, Africa’s top medical device firm, goes solar

⚡️ China’s CEEC plans $1 billion investment in Egypt’s renewables & desalination

Seen on LinkedIn 

Kandie Kipruto, Managing Director at Rutson Energy Solutions, says, “So here’s the reality: solar is low-maintenance, but doesn't mean no-maintenance.”