Africa's Energy in 13 Images

Updated on 03.05.2026

5 min read

Middle School High School

History, geography and geopolitics

1. The Two Images of Africa

The continent faces significant development challenges, but its growth potential remains considerable, provided that rural infrastructure is strengthened, rapidly expanding cities are managed sustainably, research is supported, and access to energy is expanded.

The photo shows a camel caravan passing in front of one of Africa's largest wind farms, Ashegoda, in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Ethiopia is one of the most ambitious countries when it comes to .

2. Major Dams in Africa

Distributing water and generating are the two main functions of dams in Africa, such as the Katse Dam (photo) in Lesotho, which is essential for supplying its neighboring country, South Africa. Successful negotiations between states are essential to ensure their development. For example, the colossal Grand Inga Dam project on the Congo River has been stalled for decades. The Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile is 95% complete and partially operational, but the long-running dispute between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia has not been fully resolved.

3. Morocco is Banking on Solar Thermal Energy

Spread over 480 hectares, curved mirrors concentrate the sun's rays to produce electricity and at the large Ouarzazate plant, Noor 1 (photo). The plant, with a capacity of 160 MW, is the seventh largest thermodynamic power plant in the world, after five U.S plants and one in Spain. Other countries, such as South Africa, have launched large-scale photovoltaic programs.

4. Nuclear Power is Gaining Ground in Africa

Several African countries (Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Maghreb, etc.) are considering developing nuclear power, attracted by its power and stability. South Africa is already committed to this path. It has the only nuclear power plant, Koeberg (photo), near Cape Town, which was designed in France and has a capacity of 800 MW. At the end of 2025, the country launched calls for tenders for 2,500 MW. Nuclear power is considered a pillar of its , alongside solar and wind power.

5. South African Coal

Nuclear power would enable the southern giant to reduce its dependence on , which is the basis of its industrial and mining development but causes pollution and CO₂ emissions. The country has considerable reserves but only limited resources. In the photo, women come to stock up at the Masakhane mine in the rich coal-mining region of Witbank.

Offshore oil platform off the coast of Walvis Bay, Namibia.

6. Expanding Offshore Operations

Oil and gas exploration off the coast of Africa is growing. Largely concentrated in the states of the Gulf of Guinea, since 2020, it has expanded to several countries such as Senegal, Mauritania, Mozambique, and Namibia. Shown here two oil drilling platforms near the coast of Walvis Bay, Namibia.

7. Environmental and Social Challenges

Land-based exploitation, which is particularly important in the Niger Delta, presents environmental, political, and social challenges. The large NCTL (Nembe Creek Trunk Line) pipeline in Nigeria is often damaged by smugglers or rebels. In the photo, flames are seen rising from a section of pipeline near Lagos.

8. Local Access to Energy

Solar photovoltaic energy is well suited to localized electricity production, particularly in rural areas. Here, a few panels are enough to power a water pump that supplies a water tower in the village of Safo Nassarawa, near Maradi in Niger. Solar electricity reduces the use of in electricity production.

10. Un nouveau besoin en électricité, le téléphone.

9. A New Need for Electricity: the Telephone

Lightweight systems, such as solar lamps, which provide electricity to villages, usually include a charging port for cell phones. Mobile telephony has spread at an exponential rate, even in remote areas, and is an effective tool for economic and social development. Here, a vendor's stall at the Adjame market in Abidjan.

10. The rise of technology

African development also depends on training its scientists and technicians to tackle major challenges often linked to energy, water, and food. African land is highly coveted by foreign countries, particularly China, for producing food crops or . Here, a laboratory in Ibadan, in Nigeria's Oyo State, is studying new species of cassava.

11. Forests, Natural Carbon Sinks

Large tropical and equatorial forests play a vital role in capturing carbon from the atmosphere. They are often threatened by slash-and-burn farming. Sustainable forest management is therefore an issue that concerns the entire planet. Here, a large plantation 300 miles east of Libreville, Gabon.

12. Africa and Climate Change

Climate change poses a threat to the entire Sahel region, which is already affected by endemic drought that threatens agriculture. In the photo, a Nigerien farmer and his wife work on the parched field of their small farm near Tanout, in the Zinder region. According to the UN World Food Programme, 10% of Nigerien children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition.

13. The Snows of Kilimanjaro

The gradual disappearance of the ice on Kilimanjaro has become a symbol of . Scientists show that this decline is mainly due to a sustained decrease in snowfall and the direct evaporation of ice, which is exacerbated at high altitudes by very dry air and intense sunlight. plays an indirect role by altering the precipitation cycle in the region.

In the photo, during a traditional festival, Maasai women cross the valley at the foot of the summit.