Scattered around the fringes of the continent, Africa’s small island countries are notable for their diversity. Some – such as Mauritius, a hub for financial services, and Cabo Verde, a tourist hotspot – are relatively wealthy. Others, like Comoros and Madagascar, are among the poorest in the world. The Seychelles consists of low-lying islands that are extremely vulnerable to rising sea levels, whereas São Tomé and Príncipe is made up of towering volcanic peaks.
While each of Africa’s island nations is unique, their small size and relative isolation create some common challenges.
When it comes to generating electricity for island grids, “in general, your cost per unit is extremely high,” says James Ellsmoor, CEO of consulting firm Island Innovation. “The smaller the island, the higher the cost per unit, just because of economies of scale. And so that has a knock-on effect down the whole economy, and it puts island economies as a whole at a real disadvantage.”