New opportunities for electricity retailing activities in Africa

Overview

This webinar explored the challenges and opportunities of electricity retailing in Africa. Traditionally, retailing had been a monopolistic activity controlled by the distribution network owner. However, low demand in rural areas had led to unsustainable distributor business models.

To address this issue, experts had proposed new business models that involved distributors engaging in commercial activities beyond their core business. These activities, such as selling appliances or participating in industrial activities, could potentially unlock electricity demand and contribute to community development.

The African School of Regulation organized the webinar to explore whether distributors’ commercial activities should be encouraged or even mandated, and how to avoid the risks that new business models could pose to distributors’ regulated activities.

Webinar Objectives

The objectives of the webinar were to:

• Provide an overview of electricity retailing in Africa.
• Identify and discuss new opportunities for electricity distributors in Africa.
• Discuss whether distributors should be mandated or incentivised to promote residential demand growth, productive uses, and community uses of electricity.
• Discuss how to avoid the risks that commercial activities could pose to regulated activities.