The World Bank has lauded the impact of its Malawi Electricity Access Project (Meap) which has connected nearly two million to the national electricity grid, exceeding the target of 1.6 million.
Meap ended in December 2025 and the World Bank has said that to consolidate the gains, it is continuing to support Malawi’s electrification agenda through the follow-up Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation in Malawi Project (Ascent Malawi).
The new programme focuses on expanding energy generation and regional integration to sustain the increased demand from new connections.
In an update posted on its website, the Bretton Woods institution said over 190 000 households were connected to the national grid through low-cost densification solutions, reaching communities in peri-urban and rural areas.
Reads the statement: “Nearly 257 000 solar home systems were installed by private-sector providers in off-grid areas, surpassing the target of 200 000 by nearly 30 percent.
“Forty-one [41] percent of off-grid systems and 24 percent of grid connections went to female-headed households, overall exceeding the 30 percent target. The share of female technical and engineering staff at the national utility increased from 10 to 19 percent.”
The bank said instead of building costly new transmission lines, the project focused on connecting households located near existing infrastructure through low-voltage extensions, service drops and prepaid meters.
To address affordability, the bank said the project financed “ready boards” for homes that could not afford internal wiring.
For remote communities beyond the grid’s reach, the bank said the project established the Off-Grid Market Development Fund, which provided working-capital loans and results-based financing to private solar companies.
On Ascent Malawi, the bank said ensuring long-term sustainability will require strengthening the financial viability of the national utility so it can operate and maintain the new distribution assets.
In an update on Ascent Malawi, Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) Limited said the new five-year World Bank-supported programme is targeting to connect 235 000 households by 2030.
“As we transition, new connections have been temporarily scaled down due to the disengagement of Meap contractors. Full-scale connection activities are set to resume in February 2026, with a further surge in capacity expected by May as World Bank-funded contractors will have been fully mobilised as well,” it reads.
Escom chief public relations and communications officer Pilirani Phiri said the project is taking shape for full throttle take off, as procurement adverts have been flighted.
The projects contribute to Mission 300, a World Bank Group and African Development Bank-led initiative which seeks to connect 300 million people in Africa to energy by 2030
