Africa can leapfrog to a renewable and reliable energy future

But how can you talk about leapfrogging if you don't have a word for it in your own language? That's why we teamed up with native speakers from across the continent to help us talk about #Leapfrogging4Africa.

Ahead of COP27 in Egypt, we launched a report and three country white papers that model pathways for African countries to leapfrog into a renewable and reliable energy future.

To leapfrog, the first steps need to be taken today

Download report

Africa has the potential to leapfrog to the newest energy technologies, and now is the time to capitalise on those opportunities. Read the report that shows how this is possible.

Summary

Despite the diversity of the African countries, the ingredients of the energy transition are the same for every nation. Renewable energy, supported by flexible balancing capacity, is the most effective way to replace inflexible generation, reduce energy costs, increase energy access, and improve reliability.

By laying the foundation for net zero energy systems, African countries can use renewable energy and flexible assets as a springboard for economic development, reducing energy costs and leapfrogging developed countries where legacy inflexible technologies are locked into the system. With COP27 around the corner, now is the time to catalyse action.

Download the country white papers for Africa

The power system modelling and expert analysis in our country white papers show how African countries can leapfrog into a sustainable energy future.

Download white paper

And how to talk about leapfrogging in other African languages?

isiXhosa

Igbo

isiZulu

Hausa

Swahili

Yoruba

While we're at it, we thought we'd ask for translations
in some other languages too

Arabic

Leapfrogging in Arabic is altakhatiy 'aw alsueud

And what it means in our language is:
hu mafhum biustakhdam fi alkatir min majalat aliaqtisad
tatwir majal altanzim walnashat alsinaeii walnashat altijari. alfikrat alrayiysiat wara mafhum alnat altasaeudii hi 'an takunalaibtikarat waltadrijiat bitahafuz ealaa taqadum alsharikat almusaytirati. lakanisaeat byyjy waqt w tatlue sharikat biaibtikarat thawriat tasmahiluha anuha tantu tueadiy mustawaa alsharikat alqadimat w almusaytirati. alzaahirat di mumkin tahasulllsharikat w mumkin birdu tahsul ealaa libalad aw madinat , mumkin dawlatan namiatan anha tatakhatiyalmasar w almarahil alkatirat allly bitaslukih alduwal alsinaeiat , w dah yusaeid alduwalalnaamiat anha tawasal limustawaa alduwal alsinaeiat bishakl aisrie w dah bial'akhasi limankun bintakalam ean alnumui alaiqtisadii. mumkin tasarue altanmiat bitaeataha munkhilal takhatiy alsinaeat walsinaeat allly jawdatuha aqil min kafayatiha aqil 'aw alliytkawn taklifatuha aktir watalwithuha aktur w anaha tatajih mubasharatan litiqniaat w sinaeatinjawdatuha ahsin.

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Leapfrogging in Arabic is النط او القفز التصاعدي

And what it means in our language is
والاعمال ، و هو اصلا كان تطويره في مجال التنظيم الصناعي والنموالاقتصادي. الفكرة الرئيسية ورا مفهوم النط التصاعدي هي أن ممكن تكونالابتكارات الصغيرة والتدريجية دي بتحافظ على تقدم الشركة المسيطرة. لكنساعات بييجي وقت و تطلع شركات جديدة بابتكارات ثورية تسمحلها انها تنطو تعدي مستوى الشركات القديمة و المسيطرة. الظاهرة دي ممكن تحصلللشركات و ممكن بردو تحصل لبلد او مدينة ، ممكن دولة نامية انها تتخطيالمسار و المراحل الكتيرة اللي بتسلكه الدول الصناعية ، و ده يساعد الدولالنامية انها توصل لمستوى الدول الصناعية بشكل اسرع و ده بالأخص لمانكون بنتكلم عن النمو الاقتصادي. اي بلد ممكن تسرع التنمية بتاعتها منخلال تخطي التقنيات والصناعات اللي جودتها اقل و كفائتها اقل أو الليتكون تكلفتها اكتر وتلويثها اكتر و انها تتجه مباشرة لتقنيات و صناعاتجودتها احسن

Somali

Leapfrogging in Somali is hor u socodka 

And what it means in our language is:
Waa afkaar loo adeegsado qeyb badan oo ku saabsan dhaqaalaha iyo goobaha ganacsiga, oo waxaa markii hore lagu soo saaray aaga abaabulka warshadaha iyo kobaca dhaqaalaha. Fikrada ugu weyn ee ka dambeysa afkaarta concept of leapfrogging (hor u socodka) ayaa ah hal abuuro yar oo dheeraad ah ay u hogaamiso shirkad weyn oo sii socoto. Si kastaba ha noqotee, mararka qaar, hal abuurada xagjirka waxay u ogolaaneysaa shirkadaha cusub inay ku hormaraan shirkada qadiimi ah oo hogaamineyso. Xaalada waxay ku dhici kartaa shirkadaha laakiin sidoo kale hogaaminta wadamada ama caasimadaha, halkaas oo wadanka soo koraya uu ka boodi karo heerarka dhabaha ay qaadaan wadamada warshadaha, taas oo u suurtogelineyso inay inay si dhaqso ah ula qabsadaan, gaar ahaan sida la xiriirto kobaca dhaqaalaha. Wadanka ayaa dadajin karo hormarka isaga oo ka boodayo tejnooliyada liita, waxtarka yar, qaaliga ah, ama wasaqda badan iyo warshadaha si badan u dhaqaaqa ee kuwa hormarka badan

Wolof

Leapfrogging in Wolof is diègui

Português

Leapfrogging in Portuguese is saltar para a frente

And what it means in our language is:
É um conceito utilizado em muitos domínios da economia e dos negócios, e foi originalmente desenvolvido na área da organização industrial e do crescimento económico. A ideia principal por detrás do conceito de saltar para a frente é que inovações pequenas e incrementais levam uma empresa dominante a manter-se à frente. No entanto, por vezes, as inovações radicais permitem que empresas novas saltem para a frente da empresa antiga e dominante. O fenómeno pode ocorrer com empresas mas também com a liderança de países ou cidades, situação na qual um país em desenvolvimento pode saltar etapas do caminho percorrido pelas nações industriais, permitindo-lhe recuperar mais cedo, particularmente em termos de crescimento económico. É possível acelerar o desenvolvimento de um país saltando tecnologias e indústrias obsoletas, menos eficientes, mais caras ou mais poluentes e passar diretamente para as mais avançadas.

Français

Leapfrogging in French is sauter des étapes 

And what it means in our language is:
C’est un concept utilisé dans de nombreux domaines de l’économie et des affaires, développé à l’origine dans le domaine de l’organisation industrielle et de la croissance économique. L’idée de « leapfrogging » est basée sur le constat que de petites innovations progressives peuvent garantir à une entreprise une sorte de leadership. Cependant, des innovations radicales permettent parfois à de nouvelles entreprises de supplanter l’entreprise anciennement dominante. Ce phénomène peut concerner des entreprises, mais aussi des pays ou des villes ; un pays en voie de développement peut ainsi "sauter des étapes" sur la voie empruntée par des nations plus industrialisées, lui donnant ainsi la possibilité de rattraper plus rapidement son retard, notamment en terme de croissance économique. Pour un pays, cela peut accélérer son développement en délaissant par exemple des technologies et industries moins efficaces, plus onéreuses ou plus polluantes, au profit d'autres plus avancées.

Svenska

Leapfrogging in Swedish is överhoppning

And what it means in our language is:
Det är ett koncept som används inom många ekonomi- och affärsområden och som ursprungligen utvecklades inom industriell organisering och ekonomisk tillväxt. Huvudtanken bakom konceptet överhoppning är att små och stegvisa innovationer leder till att ett dominerande företag ständigt har ett försprång. Ibland kan dock radikala innovationer göra att nya företag "hoppar över" det gamla och dominerande företaget. Fenomenet kan gälla företag men också ledarskapet i länder eller städer, där ett utvecklingsland kan hoppa över stadier som industriländerna genomgått. Detta gör det möjligt för dem att komma ikapp snabbare, särskilt när det gäller ekonomisk tillväxt. För ett land kan detta innebära att påskynda utvecklingen genom att hoppa över sämre, mindre effektiva, dyrare eller mer förorenande teknologier och industrier för att istället direkt gå till mer avancerade varianter.

Suomi

Leapfrogging in Finnish is kehitysloikka.

And what it means in our language is:
Se on konsepti, jota käytetään pääasiassa kansantalouden ja liike-elämän kontekstissa. Se on saanut alkunsa teollistumiseen ja kasvuun liittyvistä keskusteluista. Konseptin taustalla on ajatus siitä, että pienet ja asteittaiset innovaatiot pitävät johtavassa asemassa olevat yritykset huipulla. Toisinaan kuitenkin radikaalit innovaatiot ja teknologiat antavat uusille yrityksille ja jopa kokonaisille alueille mahdollisuuden kehitysloikata johtavan ja vanhan yrityksen tai teknologian yli ja ohi. Ilmiö ei rajoitu vain yrityksiin. Myös maat tai kaupungit voivat hyötyä siitä hypäten yli vaiheita, joita teollistuneet maat ovat omalla polullaan joutuneet käymään läpi – päästen näin kiinni kehittyneiden maiden lukuihin, erityisesti talouskasvun mittareilla. Käytännössä maa voi vauhdittaa kehitystään hyppäämällä yli huonommat, tehottomammat, kalliimmat ja saastuttavammat teknologiat tai alat, ja siirtymällä suoraan kehittyneempiin sellaisiin.

The translations have been made by native speakers, in collaboration with language experts, communication professionals and translation agencies.

Life with unstable electricity access

Although Nigeria has the fastest growing economy in Africa, it still does not have uniform power distribution across the country. This means that you could even lose poser in the middle of the workday, which has obvious negative effects for businesses across the country.