Malawi Village Becomes First 100% Solar-Powered Community in Africa

A remote village in Malawi has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by becoming the first community in rural Africa to reach 100% solar power coverage. Kasakula, home to over 20,000 residents located 56 miles from the capital Lilongwe, now has solar photovoltaic systems installed in all of its nearly 9,000 households after a four-year initiative by U.K. charity SolarAid.

The transformation has been dramatic for this farming community where residents previously relied on paraffin lamps and candles for lighting after dark. Like many rural African settlements, Kasakula had virtually no connection to the national electricity grid despite having two secondary schools, 10 primary schools, a health center, and numerous local businesses including barbershops and grocery stores. Market traders were forced to close early each day due to lack of lighting.

“We chose Kasakula because it is a remote and low-income community,” explained Brave Mhonie, SolarAid’s general manager in Malawi. “We wanted to test the viability of our model in such a setting, and see if it was scalable to other parts of Africa.” The project aimed to demonstrate how renewable energy can be effectively distributed and maintained in rural African communities.

The success in Kasakula offers a promising blueprint for electrifying similar communities across the continent. With most residents growing subsistence crops like maize, beans, and cassava, the solar initiative provides these farming families with bright, safe, and affordable energy access for the first time, potentially extending business hours and improving quality of life significantly.