African Union Advances Continental Electricity Market to Power Energy Transition

Addis Ababa /July 1/ 2025

African Union (AU) is making significant strides in the implementation of the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM), a transformative initiative designed to interconnect all 55 AU member states through a unified, reliable, and affordable electricity grid.
The progress was highlighted during a High-Level Technical Meeting on AfSEM and the African Continental Power System Master Plan (CMP), held Monday at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The two-day conference brings together key stakeholders to align strategies, regulatory frameworks, and investment roadmaps in pursuit of Africa’s energy transition goals.
Speaking at the opening session, Kamugisha Kazaura, Director of Infrastructure and Energy at the AU Commission, emphasized that the institutional and operational groundwork for AfSEM has been successfully laid.
“Activities are progressing well to define a common path forward to address critical technical and regulatory gaps and explore continental strategies for renewable energy deployment, trading, and manufacturing,” Kazaura stated.
He stressed the urgency of expanding access to electricity across the continent, noting that over 600 million Africans still lack reliable power. He called for accelerated and coordinated implementation of AfSEM to meet the continent’s rapidly growing energy demands.
Simbini Tichakunda, Principal Program Officer at the African Union Development Agency–NEPAD, hailed AfSEM as a cornerstone of Africa’s energy revolution.

“The dream of AfSEM is coming to life. The 400-kilovolt seamless power integration between Kenya and Tanzania, which synchronizes the grids of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, marks a major milestone,” Tichakunda said.
He also revealed that the Eastern African Power Pool is scheduled to be connected to the Southern African Power Pool by 2027 — a significant development toward full continental grid integration.
The high-level meeting aims to accelerate the operationalization of AfSEM and the CMP by harmonizing policy frameworks, mobilizing financial support, and solidifying political commitment among AU member states. Delegates are expected to review progress, identify remaining challenges, and refine implementation strategies to drive the continent’s energy transition forward.

AfSEM is poised to become the largest electricity market in the world by area and population, aligning with the AU’s Agenda 2063 vision for an integrated, prosperous, and sustainable Africa.

Emebet Asefa ,correspondent
Addis Abeba Ethiopia