Zambia is charting a promising path toward universal electricity access, with the proportion of the population connected to power rising from 30% in 2017 to nearly 50% today. While this progress is commendable, 8.5 million Zambians remain without electricity, particularly in rural and remote areas where traditional grid extension is costly and logistically challenging.
Hydropower currently supplies 80% of Zambia’s electricity, but recent droughts have exposed the country’s vulnerability to climate change. In response, Zambia is accelerating efforts to diversify its energy mix, with off-grid solar solutions emerging as a key pillar of this strategy.
The government, in collaboration with the World Bank, COMESA, and the Africa Minigrid Development Association (AMDA), is spearheading an ambitious plan to install at least 200 solar mini-grids by 2030, ensuring clean, affordable, and reliable electricity in every rural district.
“Energy access changes people’s lives,” said Achim Fock, World Bank Country Manager for Zambia. “It improves health and quality of life and helps create jobs and livelihoods that lift people out of poverty.”
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Solar home systems and mini-grids are proving to be cost-effective and scalable solutions. These technologies can provide power for lighting, phone charging, and small appliances, or supply entire villages with electricity—offering a lifeline for communities left off the grid.
To overcome the financial and technical challenges facing mini-grid developers, a high-level conference in Lusaka from April 1–3 brought together key stakeholders to assess progress and explore new financing mechanisms.
As part of the Mission 300 initiative, a World Bank-led drive to connect 300 million people across Sub-Saharan Africato electricity by 2030, Zambia is receiving targeted support to scale up distributed renewable energy. Complementary projects such as the Electricity Services Access Project (ESAP) and the Zambia-Tanzania Interconnector Project (ZTIP) are also bolstering infrastructure to support long-term energy sustainability.
Zambia’s push for solar-powered decentralised energy is not only a model of innovation but also a vital step toward climate resilience, poverty reduction, and inclusive economic growth.
