This article, published in Nature Africa in February 2024, details the many uncertainties in Africa over grid stability, finances, and political will in the move to clean energy. Howeverm it can also be the source of solutions, such as in the case of a hybrid network of solar and wind mini-grids has been funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, in a remote area north-east of Africa’s Lake Victoria.