Madagascar is home to one of Africa’s largest electricity access gaps, with only about 15% of the population connected to the national grid. Now, off-grid solar company Sun King believes it can help change that. The company has announced plans to invest up to $50 million over the next five years to deliver 1.5 million new solar connections by 2030, bringing electricity to an estimated 7.5 million people across the country.
If successful, the initiative would rank among Madagascar’s largest off-grid electrification efforts and support the country’s ambition to dramatically expand energy access before the end of the decade. Madagascar presents one of the continent’s biggest opportunities for off-grid energy. Around 85% of the population still lacks access to electricity, particularly in rural and remote communities where extending the national grid remains expensive and time-consuming.
The government wants to increase electricity access to 70% by 2030, but achieving that target will depend heavily on off-grid and mini-grid solutions rather than traditional grid expansion alone. For companies like Sun King, this creates a market where millions of households still rely on kerosene, candles and diesel generators for basic energy needs.
Sun King’s investment will fund the rollout of solar home systems and distributed solar solutions across Madagascar over the next five years. The company aims to connect 1.5 million households and businesses, providing electricity to approximately 7.5 million people by 2030. To support the expansion, Sun King has already opened its first retail outlet in Antananarivo, which will serve as the foundation for a nationwide distribution and customer service network. The company also expects the rollout to create around 1,000 local jobs in sales, installation, logistics and after-sales support.
Rather than requiring customers to pay the full cost upfront, Sun King will offer its products through pay-as-you-go (PAYGo) and instalment financing. The systems include solar-powered lighting as well as appliances such as televisions, radios, fans and refrigerators, allowing households and small businesses to access reliable electricity without waiting for grid connections. This financing model has helped Sun King expand across multiple African markets by making clean energy affordable for lower-income households.
The expansion aligns with Madagascar’s broader electrification strategy as well as international efforts to improve energy access across Africa. The project supports Mission 300, the World Bank and African Development Bank initiative that aims to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. It also complements Madagascar’s Digital and Energy Connectivity for Inclusion in Madagascar (DECIM) programme, which is backed by the World Bank to accelerate electricity access nationwide.
Madagascar becomes Sun King’s 12th African market, adding to the company’s growing footprint across East, West and Southern Africa. The company has set an ambitious continental target of reaching 200 million people with solar energy by 2030, making Madagascar an important part of its long-term expansion strategy. Rather than focusing on large utility-scale power plants, Sun King’s model centres on bringing electricity directly to homes and businesses that remain beyond the reach of national grids.
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Connecting 7.5 million people is an ambitious goal, particularly in a country with challenging geography and limited infrastructure. Yet the combination of affordable financing, distributed solar technology and strong demand for reliable electricity makes Madagascar one of the most promising markets for off-grid energy in Africa.
Whether Sun King ultimately reaches its target will depend on execution, financing and customer adoption. But if the rollout succeeds, it could significantly accelerate Madagascar’s electrification journey while demonstrating how private-sector investment can help close one of Africa’s largest energy access gaps.
