ABSTRACT
The incredibly rapid cost decline of solar photovoltaic in the past years has caused many governments to rethink their energy policies. A regulatory environment that creates incentives and removes barriers for such initiatives is arguably more effective than subsidized programs, which have a checkered past of successes and failures, especially in African rural areas. In the Middle East and North Africa region, more than 99% of the population has access to electricity, which is a different situation compared with sub-Saharan countries. Morocco is the only North African country with no indigenous oil resources and is the largest energy importer in the region, with 96% of its energy needs being sourced externally. Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa have electricity access rates exceeding 50%, and the rest has an average electrification rate of 20%. NamPower'selectricity production is mainly reliant on one hydropower plant that is not sufficient to provide enough electricity for the country.
