The development of a stable , reliable and sustainable electricity grid is fundamental to the African growth story, but while large-scale infrastructure projects are critical, we must not ignore the opportunities available to small and medium-sized enterprises. According to the African Development Bank, 640 million Africans have no access to electricity and if one looks at Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa, per capita consumption is just 180kWh compared to 13000 kWh per capita in the US and 6500 kWh in Europe. While the problem is clear, it is very difficult for a small business to see an opportunity unless the rest of the ecosystem is aligned. What is your motivation to invest if regulation, access to capital and a lack of political will are going to hold back investment in the sector? In this regard, I believe that all SMEs currently operating or aspiring to operate in the energy sector should familiarise themselves with UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7): Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy. When the goal was announced, the core issue was that 3 billion people rely on wood, coal, charcoal or animal waste for cooking and heating while indoor air pollution accounted for over 4 million deaths per year. The current energy mix accounts for around 60% of total greenhouse gas emissions, despite the adoption of renewable energy solutions across the globe. The starting point for tackling this challenge is ensuring that there is sufficient generation capacity for the grid and this has seen a number of large infrastructure projects being commissioned. While generation is important, we must not lose sight of the two other elements in the electrification journey: Distribution and Transmission. When looking at the African continent, we need to remember that many countries operate a centralised parastatal controlled power grid responsible for all 3 of these elements. These models are not fit-for-purpose in the changing energy ecosystem particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic has put enormous financial pressure on State-Owned-Entities (SOEs). A country like Uganda has understood that its electrification challenges are multi-faceted – what works in the city will not be as effective in rural communities. This has led to the establishment of the Rural Electrification Agency whose mandate it is to find innovative ways to connect rural households to save electricity solutions. A simple example here is that 1 out of every 5 Ugandan households can’t afford to wire their in-house electricity safely. Subsidised training and ...