Bright spots To connect the more than 600 million Africans who still lack basic energy access to the grid, the World Bank reckons countries across the continent need to improve on solar provision and energy efficiency. Yet, a new scorecard recently released by the organisation shows that more than 70% of the continent’s least electrified nations (those with less than 20% access rates) have ‘barely begun’ to implement a policy environment to boost electricity generation. According to an African Business Magazine report, sub-Saharan countries on average score just 35 out of 100 on the policy environment for energy access, compared to Asia where countries score around 90 out of 100. There are, however, a few highlights for policymakers in Africa. These include Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, while South Africa is considered the continent’s renewable energy leader. 28 February 2017 Image: Gallo/Getty Images