Country snapshot · Southern Africa
Malawi
Solar added each year
Ember estimates of all solar (utility-scale, distributed and off-grid), MW. 2026 is Ember’s full-year estimate.
View as tableHide table
| Year | MW | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 15.9 | Ember estimate |
| 2024 | 19.8 | Ember estimate |
| 2025 | 50.2 | Ember estimate |
| 2026E | 13.1 | Ember estimate, full year |
0.1% of Africa’s estimated 2026 solar additions (13.1 of 17,449.4 MW).1
Who has electricity
Share of people with access to electricity, 2024: rural and urban.
View as tableHide table
| Area | Access | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Rural | 6.4% | 2024 |
| Urban | 59.5% | 2024 |
| National | 15.6% | 2024 |
World Bank WDI, 2024.2
How reliable is the grid for business?
Firms experiencing electrical outages (2025 survey), compared with Sub-Saharan Africa and the world.3,4N4
89.1% (2025 survey) · Sub-Saharan Africa 72.4% · World 47.5% (2025)
The rules for small-scale generationN5
Export rules: None found
- Regulator
- MERA
- Main utility
- ESCOM (single buyer); EGENCO (generation)
Export rulesNone in force. Mission 300 compact commits to develop net-metering guidelines.5Medium confidenceShow detail
None found as an in-force rule. The Mission 300 compact lists it as an action to "Develop and implement net metering guidelines"
How exports are creditedNone for small-scale systems; grid-connected mini-grids may get a feed-in tariff or energy banking.6Medium confidenceShow detail
None found for small-scale DER. The mini-grid framework allows FiT or energy banking for grid-interconnected mini-grids
Size limits and licensingPrivate generation over 20 kVA must register; licence needed only when selling. Mini-grids under 150 kW: registration only.6High confidenceShow detail
Private generation over 20 kVA must register. No licence is needed for own use; a MERA licence is needed when selling. Mini-grids under 150 kW are unlicensed (registration only)
Mini-grid rulesMERA Regulatory Framework for Mini-Grids (2019).6High confidenceShow detail
MERA Regulatory Framework for Mini-Grids, March 2019, covering grid interconnection, FiT and PPA with the Single Buyer. Lex Africa (2024) says there is no specific micro-grid legislation, so the framework is not a statute
Market access beyond the utilityIPP Framework (2017); private distribution 'not feasible' under current rules (compact).6Medium confidenceShow detail
IPP Framework (2017). Single buyer function was briefly unbundled to Power Market Ltd, then absorbed back into ESCOM. The compact says private ownership of distribution is "not feasible" under current rules and proposes cooperatives and concessions
Aggregation / VPP rulesNone foundMedium confidenceShow detail
None found
“None found” means we could not locate a rule in public sources reviewed to 10 October 2026, not that one cannot exist.
Recent developments
Dated developments, 2024–2026.
The full report
This is a snapshot. The full story is in Africa’s Invisible Grid.
The full analysis, with 17 exhibits on the boom, the data gap, the economics and the four building blocks, is in Africa’s Invisible Grid.
