The year 2026 was one of dramatic shifts in Africa’s energy landscape. It has reshaped the outlook for telecommunications infrastructure across the continent, from South Africa’s remarkable grid recovery to Sudan’s war-driven energy collapse.
The 2026 edition of our annual Enabling Africa’s Telecommunications Future ranking captures a continent in accelerating transition.
In our 2025 edition, we highlighted that energy costs account for a quarter to a third of telecom operators’ total operating expenses, and that grid reliability varies dramatically across the continent. One year later, these dynamics have intensified. The gap between energy-secure and energy-insecure markets is widening, driven by three forces: an unprecedented boom in solar deployment, climate-induced disruptions to hydropower systems, and the devastating impact of armed conflict on energy infrastructure.
This 2026 update presents our revised energy readiness rankings for 54 African nations, documents the key changes from the prior year, and explores the strategic implications for telecommunications providers operating across the continent.
Key figures at a glance
- 4.5 GW: solar capacity added across Africa in 2025
- 273: consecutive days without load shedding in South Africa
- 40%: amount of Sudan’s generation capacity lost to conflict
- $200b+: transmission investment needed across Africa by 2040
What changed in 2026
Our 2026 assessment identified 26 sub-score changes across 17 countries — roughly one in three nations experienced a material shift in at least one dimension of energy readiness. Fifteen sub-scores improved while 11 declined. The net effect is a modest upward drift in the continental average, from 49.3 to 50.1 out of 100, but this masks significant divergence at the country level.
The most dramatic movement belongs to South Africa, which gained four points to reach 86, overtaking Tunisia to claim fourth position. Egypt also rose four points to 88, consolidating its position as the continent’s third-ranked market. At the other extreme, Sudan fell five points to 19, reflecting the toll of its ongoing civil war on energy infrastructure.
Year-over-Year Readiness Score Changes
Energy ranking for telecommunications in Africa
South Africa: from crisis to recovery
One of the most significant developments in Africa’s energy landscape over the past year has been South Africa’s dramatic grid recovery. After years of crippling load shedding that cost the economy an estimated R3 trillion ($180 billion) since 2009, the country has achieved a remarkable turnaround through its Generation Recovery Plan.
By February 2026, Eskom reported 273 consecutive days without interruption to the electricity supply, with only 26 hours of load shedding recorded during the entire financial year. The Energy Availability Factor rose to 65%, while unplanned outages were halved year-on-year, declining from 13.4 gigawatts (GW) to 8.1GW. Diesel expenditure fell by over 43%, saving billions of rands.
For telecom operators, this transformation is significant. Tower companies and network providers that invested heavily in diesel backup and battery systems during the load-shedding crisis can now reduce their dependence on expensive backup power. However, operators should approach this recovery with measured optimism; South Africa’s aging coal fleet remains vulnerable, and the long-term transition to renewables is still underway.
Perhaps most notably, the private sector’s response to the crisis has permanently altered the energy landscape. An estimated 1.6 gigawatts (GW) of new solar capacity was added in 2025, much of it through distributed installations by businesses and households. This behind-the-meter generation has reduced demand on the national grid and created a more resilient, decentralized energy ecosystem that telecom operators can leverage.
Egypt: the solar powerhouse accelerates
Egypt continues to consolidate its position as North Africa’s energy leader. The government’s aggressive investment program targets 99.8% electricity coverage while adding 3,000 MW of new solar generation capacity and 600 MW of battery storage ahead of the 2026 summer peak. At a realistic capacity factor of ~23% for utility-scale solar in Egypt, this translates to approximately 6 billion kWh of additional annual generation. This is a meaningful 2.6% uplift on the country's current base of 235 billion kWh, which has itself grown from 229 billion kWh two years prior.1
For telecom operators, Egypt offers one of the most favorable energy environments on the continent: competitive industrial tariffs around $0.05 per kilowatt-hour, near-universal grid coverage, and a government committed to grid modernization. The combination of reliable supply and falling solar costs makes Egypt an increasingly attractive market for data center investment and network expansion.
Sudan: conflict destroys energy infrastructure
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Sudan’s ongoing civil war has devastated the country’s already fragile energy infrastructure. Attacks have crippled power plants, transformers, transmission lines, and fuel depots. As of 2025, approximately 40% of Sudan’s generation capacity had been destroyed, plunging millions into darkness.
The war has compounded pre-existing challenges. Even before the conflict, per capita electricity consumption stood at just 0.294 Megawatt-hour — less than one-tenth of the global average. Mass displacement to remote areas with no grid infrastructure has further strained the system. For telecom operators, Sudan now represents a near-total off-grid environment requiring full self-generation at every site.
Climate vulnerability exposed
A severe drought across Southern and Eastern Africa has exposed a critical vulnerability: over-reliance on hydropower. Zambia and Zimbabwe, which share the Kariba Dam, have both seen significant reductions in hydro output, forcing a return to load shedding. Tanzania suffered infrastructure damage from Cyclone Dikeledi, while Burundi and the DR Congo experienced reduced output from the Ruzizi hydroelectric plant.
These climate-driven disruptions reinforce a key message for telecom operators: Hybrid energy solutions that diversify beyond a single fuel source are essential for operational resilience.
Nigeria: the reliability gap widens
Despite being Africa’s largest telecom market, Nigeria’s grid reliability continues to deteriorate. Research found that grid-connected residents experience an average of 160 days of blackout per year— meaning they go without power approximately 40% of the time. Some surveys report over 32 outages per month.
A private-sector solar boom is underway: Nigeria added 803 MW of solar capacity in 2025, driven by the simple economics of displacing diesel generators. For telecom tower operators, solar-diesel hybrid systems with battery storage remain the most viable path to reliable, cost-effective power.
Looking ahead: five trends for 2027
The future of telecom energy in Africa will be shaped by five key trends:
- Grid-edge intelligence scales beyond pilots. Smart meters, AI-driven analytics, and predictive maintenance are moving from pilot to production. Operators who invest in real-time energy management will capture the next wave of efficiency gains.
- Battery storage reshapes economics. As lithium-ion costs continue to decline, battery storage is becoming viable for telecom towers even in markets with reasonable grid access, enabling arbitrage between peak and off-peak tariffs.
- Energy-as-a-Service scales up. Third-party energy providers are increasingly offering managed solutions for tower portfolios, allowing operators to shift energy from CapEx to OpEx while benefiting from specialized expertise.
- Climate resilience drives diversification. The 2025 drought’s impact on hydro-dependent markets will accelerate the shift toward diversified generation mixes, particularly solar-battery combinations that reduce exposure to weather variability.
- Continental grid integration begins. The AU’s 10-Year Infrastructure Investment Plan for Cross-Border Interconnectivity (2026–2036), combined with regional power pool coordination, will gradually enable electricity trading that benefits telecom operators in border regions.
Conclusion: a widening divide
The 2026 rankings tell a story of accelerating divergence. The top tier of African energy markets is pulling further ahead, driven by grid recovery in South Africa, sustained investment in Egypt, and solar deployment across North and West Africa. At the same time, conflict, climate shocks, and chronic underinvestment are dragging the bottom tier deeper into crisis.
For telecommunications operators, the strategic implications are clear. In advanced markets, the opportunity is to capitalize on improving grid conditions and falling renewable costs to lock in structural cost advantages. In transitional markets, hybrid energy systems and Energy-as-a-Service partnerships offer a path to reliability that the grid alone cannot yet provide. And in the most challenging environments, the ability to operate independently of the grid — through solar, battery storage, and intelligent energy management — is no longer a differentiator but a prerequisite for doing business.
The broader picture, however, is one of untapped potential. Africa added 4.5 GW of solar in a single year, yet the continent still accounts for less than 3% of global grid infrastructure. The generation is coming; the distribution is not. Closing that gap — through cross-border interconnection, transmission investment, and regulatory reform — will determine whether Africa’s telecom sector can scale to meet the demands of 1.4 billion people who increasingly expect always-on connectivity.
The operators, investors, and policymakers who treat energy not as a fixed cost but as a strategic variable will be the ones who shape the next decade of African telecommunications.
