As African countries are increasingly left in the dark in comparison to other parts of the world, wind power could provide policy makers with another alternative to struggling national grids. And, in addition to powering more homes, wind power also provides environmental upside given long-running air pollution problems across the continent.

Mpumalanga, an eastern South African province particularly stands to gain from a greater focus on renewable energy. Home to a dozen coal-fired power stations, the province is the largest single area infected by the deadly nitrogen dioxide globally, according to satellite imagery analysis by Greenpeace, the Netherlands-based environmental non-profit.

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