Background note on Africa’s Current Path Energy Future to 2043

The report forecasts a significant increase in Africa's energy demand due to population growth, projecting that it will overtake the EU27 by 2043. While Africa possesses vast oil, gas, and hydropower reserves, its current energy mix remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels, with 'other renewables' making up only 1.6% of production in 2023. The document highlights a trajectory where Africa will eventually become a major global source of carbon emissions from fossil fuels, overtaking the EU by 2034.

• Africa's energy demand is projected to grow significantly due to population increases, with its share of world energy demand rising from 4.35% in 2019 to 14.82% by 2063. On the 'Current Path' forecast, Africa's energy demand is expected to exceed that of the EU27 in 2043, the USA and India in 2050, and China in 2079.
• The African energy production mix is dominated by fossil fuels. In 2023, oil accounted for 45.8%, gas 32.3%, and coal 17.3% of production, while 'other renewables' (primarily wind and solar) contributed only 1.6%. Transition points indicate gas will overtake oil in 2028, and other renewables will overtake hydro in 2033 and coal in 2042.
• Africa is a net energy exporter, but many countries remain heavily dependent on imports. In 2023, Algeria, Nigeria, Angola, and Libya each exported more than ten billion dollars in energy. Conversely, several countries relied on imports for over 50% of domestic demand, including Senegal (95%), Morocco, Benin, and Mauritania.
• Africa holds substantial proven reserves of fossil fuels, including 111.4 BBOE of oil (5% of global total) and 55.6 BBOE of gas (10% of global total). However, a lack of domestic infrastructure means much of the natural gas production is likely to be exported to Asia, especially as EU demand is expected to decline under the European Climate Law and REPowerEU proposal.
• Despite having the highest untapped hydropower potential globally, Africa only had 37GW of installed capacity in 2023. Major projects include Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which has made Ethiopia the largest source of hydroelectric power in Africa, and Tanzania's Julius Nyerere Hydropower Plant.
• Nuclear energy adoption is limited. South Africa operates the Koeberg station, and Egypt has contracted Russia's Rosatom for a 4.8 GW plant at El-Dabaa, with the first unit expected in 2028. Other countries exploring nuclear options include Ghana, Morocco, Uganda, and Rwanda.
• Africa is projected to become a leading global source of carbon emissions from fossil fuels. Its emissions are forecast to overtake those of the EU in 2034, the USA in 2049, India in 2055, and China in 2061.

APA

Cilliers, J. (2023). Background note on Africa’s Current Path Energy Future to 2043. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/other/Energy/

Chicago

Cilliers, Jakkie. Background note on Africa’s Current Path Energy Future to 2043. Institute for Security Studies, 2023. https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/other/Energy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cilliers |first1=Jakkie |title=Background note on Africa’s Current Path Energy Future to 2043 |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=9 November 2023 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/other/Energy/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cilliers2023background, author = {Cilliers, Jakkie}, title = {{Background note on Africa’s Current Path Energy Future to 2043}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/other/Energy/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }