Top 10 largest hydroelectric dams in Africa

• Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) ranks as Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam with an installed capacity of 6,450 MW.

• Major hydropower projects in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Egypt, Mozambique, and Ghana continue to play vital roles in powering millions of homes and industries across Africa.

• Hydropower remains central to Africa’s energy future, with several countries investing heavily in dam infrastructure to meet growing electricity demand.

Hydropower remains one of Africa’s most important sources of electricity, supplying millions of homes and powering major industries across the continent. From Ethiopia’s massive Renaissance project to Ghana’s historic Akosombo Dam, these installations represent some of the largest engineering achievements in Africa’s energy sector.

Based on installed capacity figures compiled from energy authorities and widely referenced databases such as the International Hydropower Association (IHA), World Bank energy reports, and engineering reference sources, here is a verified look at Africa’s biggest hydroelectric dams.

Hydropower provides a significant share of electricity in many African countries, with major projects concentrated along the Nile, Zambezi, and Congo river basins. According to the International Hydropower Association (IHA), Africa’s untapped hydro potential remains among the highest globally, but development is often slowed by financing challenges, environmental concerns, and regional water politics.

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The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa and one of the biggest in the world. Built on the Blue Nile, it is designed to transform Ethiopia into a regional power exporter.

Sources including the World Bank energy outlooks and hydropower datasets confirm its installed capacity at around 6,450 MW when fully operational.

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Straddling the Zambezi River, the Kariba Dam remains one of Africa’s oldest and most significant hydropower stations. It supplies electricity to both Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Formerly known as the Stiegler’s Gorge project, Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere Hydropower Station is one of the continent’s newest large-scale dams, built along the Rufiji River.

A landmark in African infrastructure, Egypt’s Aswan High Dam has been central to the country’s electricity supply and irrigation system since its completion in the 1970s.

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Located on the Zambezi River, the Cahora Bassa Dam is one of Southern Africa’s key power sources and a major electricity exporter in the region.

The Gibe III hydroelectric project plays a major role in Ethiopia’s national grid expansion and industrialisation efforts.

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The Inga dams on the Congo River are among Africa’s most strategically important hydropower installations, though they have historically operated below full potential.

The Merowe High Dam on the Nile significantly boosted Sudan’s electricity generation capacity after its completion.

The iconic Akosombo Dam on the Volta River remains Ghana’s most important hydroelectric facility, forming Lake Volta, one of the largest man-made lakes in the world.

Verified energy databases show the Tekeze Dam has an installed capacity of about 300 MW