Harnessing the sun:Addressing sociotechnical barriers to off-grid solar power deployment in Mozambique

Mozambique has substantial solar power potential (23,000GWe) yet only 83MWe of installed capacity (representing 2% of the total 3623MWe generation capacity). Meanwhile, 44% of the population has electricity access, making Mozambique one of the least-electrified countries. Efforts to scale-up off-grid solar photovoltaics and improve rural electrification face key sociotechnical challenges. Using interview data from 33 national stakeholders, we identify the key policy, inter-agency coordination, socio-cultural development, and institution-driven actions needed to overcome these challenges. We introduce the concept of a ‘social multiplier effect’ to explain how small-scale electricity access improvements increase public demand for gridbased electrification, demonstrating how this can drive socioeconomic benefits to rural and peri-urban areas. We call for coordinated actions from policy and market actors, advocating for policy coherence and increased private sector involvement to boost investment, regulation and innovation in off-grid solar technologies, ultimately achieving universal electricity access and improving social development outcomes in Mozambique.