Africa stands at the cusp of an energy revolution. The continent faces a dual challenge: expanding energy access to underserved populations while transitioning to cleaner, sustainable power sources. Over 600 million Africans still lack reliable electricity access – more than 80% of the global access gap, underscoring the urgency for an accelerated energy transition. At the same time, Africa holds immense renewable potential (from solar, wind, hydro, geothermal) that could fuel its development for decades. Bridging the energy access gap with clean energy will not only improve lives and livelihoods, but also help Africa leapfrog into a sustainable future. In this context, a market intelligence platform that tracks energy transition transactions – such as renewable energy projects, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), power purchase agreements (PPAs), and investments – can play a pivotal role in advancing Africa’s energy transition.

Africa’s Energy Transition: Challenges and Opportunities

Expanding renewable energy access is crucial for Africa’s development, where hundreds of millions still live without electricity. Renewable projects like this illustrate the immense opportunity to harness Africa’s abundant solar and wind resources. However, despite its potential, Africa has historically attracted only a marginal share of global clean energy investment. In fact, the continent received just about 2% of global renewable energy investments over the last 20 years, far below what’s needed to accelerate change. This investment gap means many viable projects struggle to find funding, slowing the transition to renewables.

There are signs of positive momentum. In recent years, clean energy investment in Africa has been ramping up rapidly. Private-sector clean energy investment tripled from around \$17 billion in 2019 to almost \$40 billion in 2024. Solar power is now the least-cost source of electricity in many African countries[4], and a pipeline of new projects (from large grid-connected solar farms to decentralized minigrids and wind parks) is emerging across the continent. Likewise, governments and development partners have launched initiatives (such as the Mission 300 program to bring power to 300 million people by 2030) to boost energy access. The opportunity is enormous – Africa holds 30% of the world’s minerals for renewable technologies and 60% of the best solar resources, positioning it as a potential leader in the global clean energy future. The key is converting this potential into projects and investments on the ground. This is where information and market intelligence become just as important as capital.

The Information Gap in African Energy Markets

While investment is growing, one of the less-discussed barriers to scaling clean energy in Africa is the lack of accessible, high-quality data on energy projects and transactions. Many African markets suffer from information scarcity and poor transparency, which can spook investors and slow down deal-making. As an Atlantic Council analysis bluntly noted, “a relative lack of data… drives up diligence costs, creates difficulties in valuing assets, and promotes misperceptions about Africa — effectively stifling much-needed investment”. In other words, when investors and financiers cannot easily find reliable information on project track records, market size, or past transaction benchmarks, they perceive higher risk.

This data gap has real consequences. Common valuation methods for projects (like comparing past deal multiples or doing cash flow analysis) become much harder with sparse data, and a survey found that inability to agree on asset value (due to poor data) was the top cause of deal failures across Africa. Limited transparency also feeds a narrative of uncertainty – international investors often overestimate risks when they don’t have concrete information, leading to a higher cost of capital and fewer projects funded.

How a Market Intelligence Platform Can Help

Given these challenges, a dedicated market intelligence platform for Africa’s energy transition can be a game-changer. Such a platform – exemplified by AKILI Energy – tracks and aggregates data on all relevant transactions: new renewable energy projects being announced or commissioned, corporate and government PPAs being signed, mergers and acquisitions of energy assets, venture investments and financing deals in clean energy companies, and more. By systematically recording these developments across the entire continent, the platform creates a one-stop repository of market information that was previously fragmented or hard to obtain.

Better data and transparency can reduce uncertainty for investors and lower transaction costs for projects. A robust intelligence platform enables stakeholders to search and analyze the “who, what, where, and how” of Africa’s energy deals. For example, investors can quickly find how many solar projects over 50 MW were commissioned in East Africa in the past year, or which developers and financiers have a strong track record in wind farm projects. Policy makers can identify trends such as which countries are attracting the most private capital for renewables, or how many PPAs have been signed under new regulations – invaluable feedback for crafting better policies.

Crucially, by tracking transactions in real time, the platform increases market transparency. Each recorded project or deal provides a data point that, collectively, paints a clearer picture of the energy transition progress. When everyone – from a large international investor to a local solar entrepreneur – has access to the same market facts, it creates a level playing field and builds confidence. It also showcases success stories: for instance, if a dozen solar-plus-storage minigrids were funded in various African countries this year, that sends a signal to other investors that such projects are viable. Transparency can thus have a snowball effect, attracting more investment by highlighting that deals are getting done and returns are being realized.

Benefits for Investors, Developers, and Policymakers

A platform tracking energy transition transactions offers tailored benefits to all major stakeholders:

1. Investors and Financiers

Access to a rich database of past deals and ongoing projects helps investors perform due diligence more efficiently. They can benchmark valuations and terms against comparable transactions in the platform, mitigating the problem of “data drought” that often makes agreeing on deal value difficult. Lower information barriers mean reduced perceived risk and potentially lower financing costs. Over time, as more deals are recorded, an investor can see, for example, that dozens of renewable projects have achieved financial closure in Africa, countering the misperception that such deals rarely happen. This can unlock more capital as confidence grows.

2. Project Developers and Entrepreneurs

For companies developing renewable energy projects or cleantech solutions, the platform is a source of market intelligence on where opportunities lie. Developers can identify which countries or regions are seeing a surge in certain project types (e.g. solar mini-grids or wind farms), and adjust their strategy accordingly. They can also find potential partners – for instance, seeing which engineering firms or EPC contractors have worked on similar projects, or which banks have been active in financing projects of a certain size. In addition, success stories logged on the platform can help developers pitch their own projects by showing that investors are active in this space and peers have secured deals.

3. Policymakers and Regulators

Governments and energy regulators benefit from an aggregated view of market activity. By tracking all PPAs signed or projects launched, they can gauge the impact of policy reforms or auctions. For example, if a country implements a new renewable energy auction program, the platform can highlight how many projects were awarded and at what prices, providing feedback on policy effectiveness. Policymakers can also identify gaps – e.g. if neighboring countries are attracting more investment due to better policy frameworks, it becomes evident through the comparative data, spurring healthy competition and policy improvement. Moreover, having transparent data on deals can improve governance; it’s easier to ensure accountability and proper planning when you know what is being built, by whom, and for how much.

4. Development Finance Institutions and NGOs

These stakeholders, who often co-fund projects or provide technical assistance, can use the intelligence to avoid duplication of efforts and direct resources where most needed. The platform’s data can show which segments (like off-grid solar or grid infrastructure) are lagging in investment and might need concessional support. It also helps measure progress toward broader goals (such as the UN’s SDG7 on energy access) by providing concrete numbers of projects and megawatts added over time.

5. General Public and Researchers

Lastly, an open or subscription-based platform contributes to public transparency. Journalists, academics, and citizens can track the transition, hold entities accountable, and celebrate milestones. Researchers can analyze the data to draw insights about what drives successful projects in Africa, informing future decisions.

 Advancing the Energy Transition Through Data

In essence, a market intelligence platform for energy transactions turns data into action. By recording Africa’s energy transition story deal by deal, it helps convert anecdotal progress into quantifiable trends. This has a powerful psychological and practical effect: it replaces uncertainty with evidence. When international investors see hundreds of renewable energy deals logged – totaling many billions of dollars – it challenges outdated narratives that Africa is too risky or lacks bankable projects. Instead, the data sends a message that “it’s happening here and now”, and savvy investors will want to be part of that momentum.

Better data can break the vicious cycle of underinvestment. As one analysis noted, a lack of data leads to investor hesitation, which leads to underinvestment and slower development – a self-reinforcing loop. A platform like Akili Energy aims to reverse this into a virtuous cycle: transparent data leads to more investor confidence, which leads to greater investment and more projects, which in turn generate more data and success stories. Over time, this can dramatically increase the capital flowing into African clean energy. Considering that Africa currently accounts for only a tiny fraction of global clean energy finance (about 2% as mentioned), the upside from unlocking investment is enormous. Studies have estimated Africa needs on the order of \$30–50 billion per year of clean energy and climate investment in the coming decade – a scale that demands active participation of private investors, which will only happen at scale if markets are seen as transparent and efficient.

Furthermore, tracking transactions helps ensure that the energy transition is inclusive and comprehensive. It’s not just about utility-scale generation – the platform can track off-grid solar home system deals, mini-grid projects in rural communities, energy storage installations, electric mobility investments, and even climate-tech startups. This breadth of coverage means the narrative of Africa’s energy transition won’t overlook smaller or innovative solutions. It shines a light on both big and small contributions, from a multi-million dollar wind farm acquisition to a new pay-as-you-go solar financing round. All these pieces together contribute to the overall transition puzzle.

Conclusion: Data as the New Energy

Africa’s energy transition is often discussed in terms of megawatts and dollars, but just as critical is information. A market intelligence platform that keeps a finger on the pulse of renewable energy projects and transactions across the continent is not a “nice to have” – it is increasingly a must-have tool to accelerate progress. By providing a clear record of what has been achieved and what is in the pipeline, such platforms support smarter decision-making and instill confidence in all market participants. They help demonstrate that Africa’s energy transition is real and investable, backed by a growing track record of projects and deals.

In the drive toward a sustainable future, data can be as empowering as electrons. With robust tracking of energy transition transactions, Africa can more effectively channel investment to where it’s needed, replicate successful models, and course-correct when needed – ultimately lighting up the continent in a way that is green, inclusive, and enduring. In short, better data and market intelligence will turbocharge Africa’s journey to a clean energy future, turning ambitious targets into on-the-ground realities one transaction at a time.