The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Southern Africa Energy Program (SAEP) is a five-year project designed to increase the supply of and access to electricity in Southern Africa. SAEP is funded by USAID in support of the Power Africa initiative. Power Africa is a U.S. government-led public-private partnership launched in 2013 to increase electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa by adding more than 30,000 MW of electricity generation capacity and 60 million new home and business connections. SAEP works to advance energy policy and regulatory reform and accelerate investment to increase power generation and access to electricity throughout the region. The lack of reliable power affects the competitiveness of Southern African industry, agriculture, and the economic opportunity and health conditions for rural populations, women, and youth. By strengthening the enabling environment and facilitating public and private transactions, SAEP leverages the momentum of private investment to help focus SAEP’s resources in ways that best support the reform of national and regional energy ecosystems. At the same time, SAEP produces the tangible results needed to create a sustainable cycle of additional reforms, increased investment, and continued political will. The program, launched in March 2017, collaborates with national ministries, utilities, transmission and distribution companies, regulators and the private sector in the following countries: Angola, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. SAEP is being implemented by a consortium led by Deloitte Consulting LLC, USA.