Sometimes one of the greatest barriers to doing business in sub-Saharan Africa is simply not knowing where to find information. Below is a diverse range of resources, gathered from U.S. and international agencies, investors, business associations, think tanks, our own Power Africa resources, and other sources.

Please note that we offer this list as a guide to assist our Partners, and have not verified the accuracy of the content provided by external sources. Inclusion of any resource does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the U.S. Government. These resources are not advice relating to legal, taxation, investment, or accounting matters. Please consult your own professional advisors in those areas. The U.S. Government expressly disclaims any legal liability.

POWER AFRICA RESOURCES

POWER AFRICA TOOLBOX

The Power Africa Toolbox mobilizes 200+ tools to unlock obstacles facing private sector power deals in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Designed to unlock power project development in sub-Saharan Africa, the online Power Africa Toolbox is a one-stop shop for information and funding opportunities for private sector developers, governments, investors, utilities, and others seeking to increase access to electricity on the continent.

FIND TOOLS

POWER AFRICA ENABLING ENVIRONMENT TRACKER

This interactive tracker presents key data from across sub-Saharan Africa measuring elements critical for increasing private sector investment and doubling electricity access in the region.

EXPLORE TRACKER

POWER AFRICA OFF-GRID ENERGY RESOURCES

Power Africa's Beyond the Grid (BTG) program has developed resources to provide valuable market intelligence for off-grid energy stakeholders, including:

• Off-Grid Solar Market Assessments; 

• a Financial Modeling Tool for PAYGO Energy Access Companies; and
• Other Resources.

POWER AFRICA "UNDERSTANDING" SERIES

Click on a cover to view each book, or find them all in our resource library.

PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNER WEBINARS

Self-Generation and Battery Storage in Southern Africa

This webinar featured a technical presentation by David Jankofsky, lead regulatory expert in the USAID Southern Africa Energy Program. David discussed what is happening in Southern Africa with small-scale electricity generation (licensing, interconnection, pricing, and subsidies), and with battery storage regulation.

If you missed this episode, listen to it here. 

Additional questions and answers not covered in the webinar are available here.

WOMEN IN AFRICAN POWER NETWORK

Connect with a strong network of women working African energy markets across Africa, including national and regional networks, webinars, and publications. Target women specifically for job openings by advertising in their newsletter. Join the LinkedIn group.

U.S. GOVERNMENT RESOURCES

• International Trade Administration of the US Department of Commerce
  • Country Commercial Guide
    Read ITA’s Country Commercial Guides for any country to learn more about market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business customs prepared by U.S. Embassies worldwide.
  • Free Trade Agreement help center
    Access ITA’s Help Center, which offers practical guidance on preferential tariff treatment for 20 countries with whom the U.S. has Free Trade Agreements.
  • U.S. Commercial Service - links to U.S. Export Assistance Centers
    Search ITA’s Commercial Service site to find 100+ nationwide U.S. Export Assistance Centers, and 70+ international offices, which offer a full range of expertise in international trade, specifically geared to assist U.S. firms and businesses exporting U.S. products.
• Millenium Challenge Corporation Scorecards
  Preview MCC’s measurement of a country’s eligibility for assistance programs.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) Data and Tools
  Check out NREL’s data sets, maps, models, and tools for the analysis of energy and energy efficiency technologies.
• The RE Data Explorer
  Search The RE Data Explorer's high quality, robust, and reliable data, curated by the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.  This is a a publicly available geospatial analysis tool that can inform renewable energy policy, investment, and deployment decisions.

EXTERNAL RESOURCES

• African Development Bank’s Africa Energy Portal
  Explore the energy sector in any African country through Africa Energy Portal’s abundance of resources, from projects and investments to publications and blogs.
  • Africa Energy Portal Country Profiles
    Get a sense of a country’s electricity access through Africa Energy Portal’s Country Profiles.
• International Energy Agency (IEA)
  Explore IEA’s various programmes and initiatives, from ensuring energy security, to tracking clean energy transitions, to collecting data, and providing training around the world.
• International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards
  Review IFC's Environmental and Social Performance Standards which define IFC clients' responsibilities for managing their environmental and social risks.
• International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
  Explore IRENA’s repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy in sub-Saharan Africa and across the world.
• World Bank’s Doing Business Annual Report
  Review the World Bank’s description and ranking of business regulations related to the Ease of Doing Business in 190 economies.
• Research: A Green Energy Future for Rural Africa
  Check out this research, released April 2021 by Power Africa partner Shell Foundation, that outlines a $200bn opportunity for climate-first funders to avoid 626 m/t CO2e while delivering universal energy access in Africa by 2030 − helping to achieve several of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and global net-zero emissions by 2050.
• GreenCo Southern Africa Power Pool Newsletter
  Stay on top of price and volume movements on the SAPP competitive markets through this free newsletter, launched in April 2021 by Power Africa partner GreenCo Power Services Limited.

PRIVATE SECTOR ASSOCIATIONS

• Corporate Council on Africa
  Get to know CCA’s member firms, representing a broad cross section of companies from small and medium-sized businesses to multinationals, as well as U.S. and African firms investing  in Africa's most promising sectors including agribusiness, energy, finance, health, ICT, infrastructure, security, tourism and trade facilitation.
• Directory of AmChams in Africa
  An American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) abroad is a voluntary association of U.S. enterprises and individuals doing business in a given country as well as firms and business executives of that country who operate in the United States. Search by African country to find out more about the local AmCham offering.
• GOGLA
  Check out 180+ members and activities of the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association, a global association for the off-grid solar energy industry.
• Lusophone Association for Renewable Energy (ALER)
  Learn about renewable energy activities across the Lusophone world through ALER, which aims to promote renewable energies in portuguese-speaking countries.
• Mozambique Association for Renewable Energy (AMER)
  Get hooked into the local scene in Mozambique through AMER, which is a non-profit association whose mission is to promote renewable energy in Mozambique. AMER is associated with ALER.
• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)
  Learn more about how NRECA’s group of 900 electric cooperatives work in sub-Saharan Africa.
• US Energy Association
  Learn more about the USEA, which serves as a resource and voice for the energy industry in the U.S. and abroad, helping expand energy access in developing countries with the U.S. Federal Government.