Ghana ranks 7th as South Africa and Egypt dominate Africa's electricity generation – See top 10 list

• Ghana ranks 7th in Africa’s electricity generation, producing about 24.3 billion kWh annually.

• South Africa and Egypt lead the continent, with Nigeria surprisingly lower despite its large population.

• Africa’s power supply is highly concentrated in a few countries, while many still face major electricity access gaps.

Ghana has ranked seventh among Africa’s top electricity-generating countries, according to new figures highlighting the continent’s widening energy gap and the dominance of a few major producers led by South Africa and Egypt.

Data compiled by Data Commons estimates that Ghana generates approximately 24.3 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually.

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While the figure places Ghana among Africa’s leading power producers, it also reflects the broader challenge facing the continent, where hundreds of millions of people still lack reliable electricity access.

South Africa remains Africa’s largest electricity producer by a wide margin, generating about 234.9 billion kWh annually, nearly one-quarter of the continent’s total output.

The country relies heavily on coal-fired plants operated by state utility Eskom, although it is also Africa’s only producer of nuclear-generated electricity and one of the continent’s leading renewable energy markets.

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Egypt follows closely in second place with 214.1 billion kWh, supported by hydropower, natural gas, and a rapidly expanding renewable energy sector.

Algeria ranks third with 91.2 billion kWh, relying almost entirely on natural gas production.

Morocco occupies fourth position with 45.6 billion kWh, driven largely by major investments in renewable energy projects such as the Noor Ouarzazate Solar Complex.

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Nigeria, despite being Africa’s most populous country, ranks fifth with only 37.9 billion kWh, exposing the country’s long-standing electricity supply challenges.

Libya sits sixth with 35.1 billion kWh, ahead of Ghana in seventh place.

Ghana’s electricity sector continues to depend heavily on hydropower generation from the Akosombo and Bui dams, although the country has expanded thermal and solar generation in recent years to reduce pressure on the national grid and minimise recurring power outages popularly known as “dumsor.”

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Recently, President John Mahama announced plans for a 1,200-megawatt gas-fired power plant aimed at improving electricity reliability and meeting rising demand driven by urbanisation and industrial growth.

Tunisia ranked eighth with 21.4 billion kWh, while Mozambique and Zambia completed the top 10 list with 19.6 billion kWh and 19.4 billion kWh respectively.

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The report further noted that Africa generated about 820 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2023, with fossil fuels accounting for roughly 71% of total production.

Despite the continent’s vast renewable energy potential, Africa still attracts only a small share of global clean energy investment.