Mission 300: Powering Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Development Podcast | World Bank Group
March 4, 2025
Host: Lindy Mtongana

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the challenge and opportunity of energy access in Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on "Mission 300," an ambitious World Bank-led partnership to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. Through interviews with policymakers, entrepreneurs, private sector leaders, and development specialists, the episode explores why access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy is critical for Africa’s socioeconomic progress, and how public-private partnerships, sector reforms, and targeted investments can overcome persistent energy deficits. The real-world impacts are illustrated through the voices of entrepreneurs and communities living with unreliable power, culminating in a poem that highlights the human dimension of Africa’s energy journey.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Scale and Urgency of Africa's Energy Challenge

• Access Gap: 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa live without electricity, accounting for 83% of the world's population without power.
  (Lindy Mtongana, 02:10)

  “…600 million represents about 83% of the world's population with no electricity access. A lack of reliable electricity, blackouts, intermittent power or no power at all are not just inconveniences. They are holding back Africa's economic progress.”

• Development Impact: Lack of electricity impairs education, healthcare, business operations, and food security, and reliance on diesel generators harms the environment.

Mission 300: Ambition, Commitments, and Partnerships

• Mission Launch: The World Bank, African Development Bank, and partners have unveiled Mission 300 to connect 300 million people by 2030.
  (Lindy Mtongana, 03:15)

• High-Level Commitments:

  • At the Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam, 12 African heads of state released detailed action plans, and partners pledged over $50 billion for Africa’s energy transformation.
    (Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, 04:05)

  “…Africa cannot realize economic growth and development aspirations without ensuring access to energy for its people… congratulations once again for making history here in Dar es Salaam.”

• Focus Areas:
  (Ajay Banga, World Bank President, 04:47)

  “These plans focus on affordable power generation, on expanding connections and on regional integration and regional electrical markets. They aim to boost the efficiency of utilities… and attract private investment.”

• Energy & Jobs Link:
  (Ajay Banga, 05:54)

  “M300 is the cornerstone of a jobs agenda. It is not just about electricity. It is not just about clean cooking. It is not just about Health care. It is about people and their optimism and their hope for dignity.”

Lived Experiences: The Impact of Unreliable Power

Spotlight: Clara Shard, Mwani Cosmetics, Zanzibar

(07:36–10:29)

• Day-to-Day Realities:

  “There have been instances where we actually work at night in order to be able to complete orders... It has actually been a pain point for our company. It's a real sticking point…” (08:38, Clara Shard)

• Impact on Workforce:

  “…They'll have to deal with extreme heat at night when there's a power out... Children can't do homework. They have to come to us to ensure they can charge their phones.” (09:50)

• Potential of Reliable Power:

  “The benefits would be immense. It would have immense improvement on the way things work in Zanzibar.” (10:29)

What Will It Take? Sector Reform and Private Sector Collaboration

Victoria Kwakwa, World Bank Regional VP for Eastern & Southern Africa

(11:03–13:50)

• No "Silver Bullet":

  “...If I had to pinpoint one thing that is super critical, I think reform of the energy sector… that is so fundamental to success that we cannot ignore it.” (11:03)

• Public-Private Synergy:

  “Private know-how and the private ability to manage and to innovate joins up with public sector to really deliver... the off-grids are facilitated by the private. And so those are two examples. But the two need to work together.” (11:53)

• Next Steps:

  “Mission 300 is really about partnership. We can't do it alone. Government can't do it alone. The private sector can't do it alone…” (13:00)

The Mission 300 Accelerator: Coordination, Reform, and Innovation

Andrew Herskowitz, CEO, Mission 300 Accelerator, Rockefeller Foundation

(15:00–20:07)

• Unprecedented Ambition:

  “We're looking at trying to get 300 million more people access to electricity in just over five years. So it's an unprecedented speed, it's unprecedented resources being put into making this happen also.”

• Blended Finance:

  “We’re bringing philanthropic capital to bring the cost of borrowing down a little bit more... but also to fill gaps.” (15:37)

• Transactional Approach:

  “The thing that M300 is different about also is to a large degree it's a transactional approach. We're able to get down to a very granular level and say there's this particular project... but it's facing these obstacles. What do we need to do to overcome these obstacles?” (16:21)

• Country-Specific Accountability:

  “12 countries entered into energy compacts... [with] specific reforms that need to happen. Those are necessary to attract private investment into the country...” (16:21)

• Personal Motivation:

  “Electricity is the key to driving development anywhere in the world. If you don't have it, not only are you getting left behind, but everybody's advancing far beyond you...” (19:02)

The Private Sector Perspective: Scaling Solutions, Digital-Energy Nexus, and Policy Reform

Hassanein Hiraji, CEO, Axient Group

(20:50–28:05)

• Digital-Energy Interdependence:

  “In Africa we have three things to solve. First one is digital connectivity… in parallel we have also to bring connectivity alongside with energy access. So those are interlinked. You work with two feet. One feet is the digital access, the other is energy access.” (20:50)

• Reform Momentum:

  “What was very interesting in Dar es Salaam… is that now not only [governments are] willing, but now they're pushing because they're accountable… we have now to give proper quality of service, we need to give proper energy access.” (22:10)

• Structural Change:

  “This is a huge change in the mindset… this is a new constitution for energy access in Africa.” (23:58)

• Demand and Impact Stories:

  “You see queues of people waiting and lining up… they're willing to pay the meter in advance… you're bringing real light, real life in those house... This is a real change. We're walking the talk and we're making impact and positive change.” (25:56–28:05)

Humanizing the Challenge

Poem by Nora Anyidoho, Ghanaian Poet

(28:30–30:10)

• Empathy and Urgency:

  “Over half a billion people in Sub Saharan Africa live without electricity. That is one in two… I speak to flip the switch. Envision a future where every home and hospital, farm and factory has constant reliable access to electricity because electricity transcends illumination. Electricity is the fuel that drives innovation. It is the power to empower.” (28:30)

Key Timestamps

• 00:06 – 03:15: Introduction & scale of Africa’s electricity deficit
• 04:05 – 05:44: Dar es Salaam Summit – presidential and World Bank statements
• 06:45 – 10:41: Zanzibar entrepreneur story—Clara Shard
• 11:03 – 13:50: Victoria Kwakwa on reforms, public-private collaboration, next steps
• 15:00 – 20:07: Andrew Herskowitz on the Mission 300 Accelerator, blended finance, and transactional approach
• 20:50 – 28:05: Hassanein Hiraji on digital-energy nexus and real-life transformation stories
• 28:30 – 30:10: Poem by Nora Anyidoho

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “M300 is the cornerstone of a jobs agenda. It is the foundation for future development.” – Ajay Banga, World Bank (05:54)
• “There have been instances where we actually work at night in order to be able to complete orders… It has actually been a pain point for our company.” – Clara Shard (08:38)
• “You work with two feet. One feet is digital access, the other one is energy access.” – Hassanein Hiraji, Axient Group (20:50)
• “This is a new constitution for energy access in Africa.” – Hassanein Hiraji (23:58)
• “Absent electricity, none of the other development sectors happen. And so it's absolutely critical for everything that we do.” – Andrew Herskowitz (19:02)
• “Electricity is the fuel that drives innovation. It is the power to empower. It is the hope. It is the life force of Africa's economic revolution.” – Nora Anyidoho (28:30)

Episode Tone and Language

• The episode is urgent, optimistic, and collaborative. Speakers reinforce the magnitude of the energy access challenge, the importance of practical reforms, and the spirit of partnership across public, private, and philanthropic actors.
• Real-life testimonies and poetic language bring the stakes and opportunities to life, humanizing the data for listeners.

Summary Conclusion

This episode of The Development Podcast delivers a compelling examination of the barriers and breakthroughs in bringing electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030. By blending policy analysis with on-the-ground stories and policy commitments, it articulates why energy access is foundational not just for prosperity, but for dignity and hope across the continent. The involvement of multiple stakeholders signals a new era of cooperation—and accountability—where innovative finance, targeted reform, and community engagement promise to finally "flip the switch" for Sub-Saharan Africa.