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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimates that 69% of Madagascar’s population live in ‘multidimensional poverty’, a metric that uses ten health, education and standard of living indicators. The UNDP categorises 55.6% of the population (around 30m people) as living in ‘monetary poverty’, with income below $1.90/day at 2011 prices.

Despite vigorous opposition from a number of quarters, the South African government’s recently appointed electricity minister – who has been given new powers – still wants to procure 2GW of emergency electricity in a revised contract with Turkish-owned Karpowership. Meanwhile, generation is not the only factor causing difficulties, as the grid reaches its limit in some parts of the country.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced that Zimbabwe will hold its anticipated general election on 23 August.

As Zimbabwe’s general election approaches, experts are complaining that its energy laws and policies are outdated and need extensive review to promote increased investment in renewable energy.

The 1,290km Lobito corridor is being lined up for some $250m in financing from the United States’ Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and, reflecting the tone of recent US (re-) engagement with the region, the White House has also mooted an expansion of the Lobito corridor to the Tanzanian coast.

A report into the Cabo Delgado insurgency and the future of TotalEnergies' Mozambique LNG project has concluded that the security and humanitarian situation is improving, which could lead to work restarting later this year. The Rufin report has also prompted a $200m action plan to address some root causes of the violence, writes Marc Howard.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu acted decisively at his 29 May inauguration as head of state, by ordering the removal of subsidies on petroleum products. Sources close to his incoming administration had predicted such a move was likely, but the timing of any announcement had been unclear. Previous governments have promised to remove subsidies before backing away from such a decision, so Tinubu’s nerves are likely to be tested in the face of the protests that are now likely.

In the run up to the 2018 election, Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF promised to increase electricity generation capacity and end load-shedding. The reality has been power cuts lasting over 16 hours. But despite this, the Zanu-PF government says it has a solution to the electricity supply crisis.

With elections due in August, the ruling Zanu-PF’s grip on power is being threatened by electricity shortages, corruption and soaring inflation. However, critics say an uneven electoral playing field still favours the incumbent, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi in Harare.

The timing of the official commissioning of the 650,000 b/d Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical Plant on 22 May said as much about local political sensitivities as it did about the facility’s undoubted importance for the Nigerian energy sector.

The cabinet has approved the merger of state-owned enterprises IGas and PetroSA, and the Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF) to form South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC).

South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has outlined plans to procure nearly 17GW of generation capacity from different technologies in FY2023/24, in new efforts aimed at increasing electricity supply and tackling crippling shortages.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations are often central to whether a project can move ahead, with the first two of these often the determining factors. But “in Angola it’s G that is often much more important than E and S,” a consultant active in southern Africa told African Energy.

With winter on the horizon and no sign of an end to the energy crisis, the South African government is considering slowing down its decommissioning plans for the country’s fleet of ageing coal-fired power stations, but international partners have called on it to stick to its Just Energy Transition Partnership commitments, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi.

Savannah Energy’s dispute with Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno’s government in Ndjamena has gone cross-border, with diplomatic ties between Chad and Cameroon under stress after the London AIM-listed oil company’s new deal to sell part of its interest in the export pipeline, writes James Gavin.