Mission 300: Africa’s Path to Sustainable Energy – Why Global Institutions Must Act Now

600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa still live without access to electricity. Schools teach by candlelight, hospitals run surgeries on diesel generators, and small businesses struggle with unreliable power. This energy poverty is one of the biggest obstacles to development, health, and prosperity. So far, so familiar. Africa’s energy future will be shaped by the cooperation of global strategy and local implementation—and this is currently seeing significant momentum. Surprisingly, support is coming from an unexpected source.

With Mission 300, the World Bank, together with the African Development Bank, has now set an ambitious goal: by 2030, an additional 300 million people should gain access to reliable and clean energy. The initiative is supported by a growing coalition of international funders, including the Rockefeller Foundation, which has already invested over $15.9 million in accompanying programs.

However, this is only a fraction of the estimated investment required for this task: around $90 billion is needed. Yet the potential impact could be groundbreaking; electricity for 300 million people means new jobs, better healthcare, digital opportunities, and progress in climate protection.

What Mission 300 Specifically Aims to Achieve The initiative relies on a three-pronged strategy:

• Grid Expansion – More countries will be connected to the regional power network, also through regional electricity markets.

• Decentralized Solutions – Mini-grids, solar systems for households and businesses, and clean cooking solutions will directly benefit millions of households.

• Reforms & Financing – Through National Energy Compacts, countries commit to political and regulatory reforms to facilitate investment.

The Rockefeller Foundation has traditionally seen itself as a catalyst for global development. It is one of the oldest and most influential private foundations in the world, founded in 1913 by John D. Rockefeller. As the founder of Standard Oil, he was by far the richest person in the world at the time. With its support, the Foundation aims to reduce risks for investors—by funding preparatory work and pilot projects that no one else would cover. It also helps to mobilize additional capital. Every dollar of philanthropy is intended to attract multiple times that amount in private investment.

In this way, the foundation complements government funds from the World Bank and investments from private companies such as EWIA Green Investments. Private initiatives are crucial because they can act quickly and pragmatically, where large-scale projects often take years. They directly create jobs and income by strengthening local businesses. Private companies are also usually the ones driving innovation, for example through digital energy management or pay-as-you-go models.

Why Both Are Needed: Institutions and Private Players

The challenge of energy supply in Africa is too great to be solved by NGOs, start-ups, or individual impact investors alone. Without billions in investments in grids, reforms, and regional markets, progress remains piecemeal.

At the same time, large institutions often move slowly. This is where companies like EWIA come in, filling the gaps that require flexible solutions and local adaptation.

The combination of top-down initiatives (Mission 300, the World Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation) and bottom-up engagement (EWIA Green Investments and many others) is therefore critical to breaking the vicious cycle of energy poverty, general poverty, and climate impact.

Donald Trump Fuels Solar Boom in Africa

That Donald “drill, baby, drill” Trump is actually driving the solar boom in Africa (for an interesting take, see a recent article in DIE ZEIT) may come as a surprise to some. “Because he wants to keep Americans dependent on oil, gas, and coal like a drug dealer keeps his junkies,” the analysis notes, China—the global leader in solar energy—currently doesn’t know what to do with all the photovoltaic panels it produces. The business-savvy Chinese have long recognized the potential for a huge, lucrative market on the Sun Continent.