SOCIOECONOMIC BENEFITS OF OFF-GRID ELECTRIFICATION: A CASE STUDY OF CAZOMBO
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66104/w1ppnj70Keywords:
Sustainability; Off-grid electrification; Socioeconomic development; Rural electrification; Cazombo.Abstract
Sustainability, understood as development that meets present needs without compromising future generations, is the central focus of this study, which analyses the socioeconomic impacts of off-grid electrification in the municipality of Cazombo, Moxico Leste Province, Angola. The research adopted a documentary approach, using institutional sources, news reports, and publications from 2023 to 2025. Findings show that the Cazombo Solar Plant, with photovoltaic technology and battery storage, provided continuous electricity access, strengthening essential services such as health, education, and water supply. The project also created jobs, stimulated the local economy, and reduced dependence on fossil fuels, contributing to greenhouse gas mitigation. It is concluded that off-grid electrification represents a sustainable, technically feasible, and socially relevant solution for isolated rural areas, provided continuous maintenance, local capacity building, and monitoring are ensured for long-term sustainability.
Downloads
References
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (AFDB). New Deal on Energy for Africa: A transformative partnership. Abidjan: AfDB, 2021.
ANGOLA. Governo da República de Angola. Plano Angola 2025: Estratégia de Desenvolvimento Nacional. Luanda, 2021.
ANGOLA. Ministério da Energia e Águas. Plano de Desenvolvimento do Sector da Energia. Luanda: MINEA, 2022.
BANCO MUNDIAL. Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report 2022. Washington, DC: World Bank, 2022.
BHATIA, M.; ANGELUCCI, F. Beyond connections: Energy access redefined. Washington, DC: World Bank, 2019.
CONSULADO GERAL DA REPÚBLICA DE ANGOLA EM CAPE TOWN. Moxico Leste
– Província do Moxico Leste. s.d. Disponível em: https://capetown.mirex.gov.ao/web/provincias-detalhes/22. Acesso em: 11 fev. 2026.
ENERGY NEWS NETWORK. MCA delivers Africa’s largest off-grid renewable energy system in Angola, 2025. Disponível em: https://energy-news-network.com. Acesso em:
15 jan. 2026.
GOLDEMBERG, J.; LUCON, O. Energy, environment and development. London: Earthscan, 2010. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781849774468
GRUPO VIDA ECONÓMICA. MCA entrega em Angola o maior sistema off-grid de energia renovável em África, 2025. Disponível em: https://www.grupovidaeconomica.pt. Acesso em: 15 jan. 2026.
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY (IEA). Energy Access Outlook 2017: From poverty to prosperity. Paris: IEA, 2017.
INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY (IRENA). Off-grid renewable energy solutions to expand electricity access. Abu Dhabi: IRENA, 2019.
INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY (IRENA). Renewable Energy
Technologies: Cost Analysis Series – Solar Photovoltaics. Abu Dhabi: IRENA, 2020.
MCA GROUP. Rural Electrification Programme – Angola: Project Overview. Lisboa: MCA Group, 2025.
MINISTÉRIO DA ENERGIA E ÁGUAS (ANGOLA). Plano Nacional de
Desenvolvimento do Setor Elétrico. Luanda: MINEA, 2018.
MINISTÉRIO DA ENERGIA E ÁGUAS (ANGOLA). Programa de Eletrificação Rural.
21
Luanda: MINEA, 2024.
PORTAIS. Monografia da Província do Moxico. Disponível em:
https://sys.portais.gov.ao/uploads/10_monografia_moxico_1471262777651fc42e419af _515479c265.pdf. Acesso em: 13 jan. 2026.
UNITED NATIONS. Paris Agreement. New York: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 2015.
UNITED NATIONS. Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. New York: United Nations, 2015.
WORLD BANK. Access to Electricity and Rural Electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Washington, DC: World Bank, 2021.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Claudia Elisa César Guimarães, Josanne Cristina Ribeiro Ferreira Façanha, Aline Aparecida Carvalho França, Inácio Ferreira Façanha Neto

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits the sharing of the work with proper acknowledgment of authorship and initial publication in this journal;
Authors are authorized to enter into separate, additional agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in this journal (e.g., posting in an institutional repository or publishing it as a book chapter), provided that authorship and initial publication in this journal are properly acknowledged, and that the work is adapted to the template of the respective repository;
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post and distribute their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their personal websites) at any point before or during the editorial process, as this may lead to productive exchanges and increase the impact and citation of the published work (see The Effect of Open Access);
Authors are responsible for correctly providing their personal information, including name, keywords, abstracts, and other relevant data, thereby defining how they wish to be cited. The journal’s editorial board is not responsible for any errors or inconsistencies in these records.
PRIVACY POLICY
The names and email addresses provided to this journal will be used exclusively for the purposes of this publication and will not be made available for any other purpose or to third parties.
Note: All content of the work is the sole responsibility of the author and the advisor.
