Silvia Lopez Rocha

Does the ownership structure of electricity distribution utilities matter? Distribution utilities are usually private or government-owned. There is constant debate as to which is “better” in terms of financial performance, service delivery and quality, or development in general, given that public services, such as education and healthcare as well as the private sector depend heavily on reliable electricity distribution.

If you’re reading this, it’s likely that going about with your daily life is impossible without electricity. And yet, many face this exact challenge. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), 6 out of 10 people did not have access to electricity in 2016. This problem is not just confined to rural areas; a quarter of those without electricity in the region live in urban zones. Supply-side impediments to grid electrification in SSA have been widely discussed - such as the lack of generation capacity.