New frontiers of electricity capital: energy access in sub-Saharan Africa

While recent years have seen the rapid growth of off-grid solar power, ten per cent world’s population, majority in sub-Saharan Africa, still lack access to electricity. Meanwhile, standalone home systems using pay as you go (PAYGO) mobile money been proposed a key solution meeting target universal energy under Sustainable Development Goal 7. These are being deployed various regions global South, including East Africa and lesser extent West Africa. I investigate how through PAYGO, electricity is transformed into cash flow, financial asset conduit for consumer debt. In so doing analyse evolving relationships between some actors institutions involved this process, banking platforms such M-Pesa, ‘next generation utilities’ M-KOPA BBOXX, powerful network operators Safaricom MTN. Theoretically conceptualise new frontier ‘electricity capital’, developing field from political economy geography, which concerned with way technological developments sector reconfiguring different state, industry, finance, users.