Mozambique’s Electricity Crisis: Majority of Citizens Say Government is Failing to Provide Reliable Supply
A recent survey by Afrobarometer has revealed that a slim majority of Mozambicans believe their government is doing a poor job of providing a reliable supply of electricity. The findings suggest that only about four in 10 citizens enjoy a reliable supply of electricity, with rural residents and the poor being disproportionately affected.
According to the survey, fewer than half (47%) of Mozambicans live in zones served by the national electricity grid, with only 22% of rural residents having access to the grid compared to 88% of urban residents. Moreover, 44% of Mozambicans live in households that are connected to the national power grid, but among those who are connected, 89% say their electricity works “most of the time” or “all of the time.”
The survey also found that electricity ranks fourth among the most important problems that Mozambicans want their government to address, with a slim majority (53%) of citizens saying the government is doing a poor job of providing a reliable supply of electricity. This assessment is particularly widespread among the less educated (61%-73%), the poorest citizens (62%), and rural residents (67%).
Mozambique’s national electrification strategy aims to achieve universal access to electricity by 2030 by expanding electricity infrastructure and introducing off-grid solutions. However, the country’s access deficit can be explained by an underdeveloped transmission and distribution network, limited financing, and a complex bureaucracy that stalls the development of new power projects.
In recent years, Mozambique has received grants worth millions of dollars from international organizations to improve energy access in the country. In 2019, the World Bank and the European Union, Sweden, and Norway provided grants worth US$148 million to improve energy access in five of the country’s poorest provinces. More recently, the African Development Bank provided a US$33.25 million grant to build the Songo-Matambo electricity transport line to distribute power to central and northern Mozambique.
The Afrobarometer survey provides an on-the-ground look at electricity access in Mozambique, highlighting the urgent need for the government to address the country’s energy crisis. With only 40% of the country’s population having access to grid electricity, it is clear that more needs to be done to ensure that all Mozambicans have access to reliable and affordable electricity.
