SEFA Approves Record $97m in Clean Energy Projects at Berlin Council Meeting

SEFA’s Governing Council endorsed the 2026 Annual Work Programme and Budget, reaffirming their commitment to the platform’s expanding role in mobilising private-sector investment.

 

The Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), managed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), has concluded its annual Governing Council meeting in Berlin, welcoming strong delivery momentum marked by a record approval of 13 projects worth $97 million and $88 million in new donor contributions.

Hosted by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the meeting brought together SEFA’s donor partners and key stakeholders to review performance in 2025 and agree on priorities for 2026, with a clear emphasis on scaling catalytic finance to accelerate energy access and Africa’s energy transition.

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Growing Portfolio, Accelerated Impact

SEFA’s Governing Council endorsed the 2026 Annual Work Programme and Budget, reaffirming their commitment to the platform’s expanding role in mobilising private-sector investment.

SEFA’s portfolio now includes:

• 54 operations across 46 African countries

• More than $405 million committed under SEFA 2.0

• Accelerated project approvals and disbursements across renewable energy and energy access initiatives

“SEFA is proving its catalytic value on the ground, with accelerated approvals and disbursements and growing impact,” said Dr Kevin Kariuki, Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth at the African Development Bank Group.

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Private Sector Mobilisation and Blended Finance in Focus

Ahead of the council meeting, held on 29–30 January 2026, BMZ and SEFA convened a technical seminar on private sector mobilisation and blended finance in the decentralised renewable energy sector.

Participants — including investors, development partners and industry stakeholders — examined:

• Market challenges and investment gaps in decentralised renewable energy

• Blended finance instruments best suited to scale clean energy generation and connections

• The role of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in capital mobilisation

• Emerging private-sector business models

• Smart subsidies and innovative partnerships to support upstream project development

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Germany Reaffirms Strategic Support

Germany reiterated its strong backing for SEFA, aligning it with the country’s broader development priorities.

“SEFA sits at the intersection of the four priorities of BMZ’s new development approach — multilateralism, Africa focus, energy transition and finance mobilisation,” said Johann Saathoff, Parliamentary State Secretary.“That is why Germany supports it.”

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Mission 300: Connecting 300 Million People by 2030

The council also discussed Mission 300, the joint African Development Bank–World Bank initiative aiming to connect 300 million people to electricity by 2030 through country-led reforms and investment programmes anchored in National Energy Compacts.

Dr Daniel Schroth, Director of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the AfDB Group, presented an update on the initiative, highlighting:

• The role of Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units

• The Mission 300 Development Partners Coordination Group, designed to strengthen coordination, track reforms and accelerate implementation

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Strengthening Germany–Africa Energy Cooperation

On 28 January, the AfDB Group delegation met with Germany’s development cooperation institutions, including BMZ, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) and Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), to deepen collaboration on sustainable energy.

The delegation also hosted a business opportunities seminar for German companies, showcasing Africa’s growing energy investment potential and pathways for the private sector to engage with African Development Bank–supported projects.