- Seven in 10 Basotho (70%) live in zones served by the national electric grid.
- But fewer than half (46%) of rural residents are within reach of the grid, compared to more than nine in 10 urban and peri-urban residents. Seniors, less educated citizens, and poor respondents are also less likely to live in zones served by the electric grid than younger citizens, those with more schooling, and better-off respondents.
- Six in 10 Basotho (59%) live in households that are connected to the national power grid.
- Among those who are connected to the grid, 91% say their electricity works “most of the time” or “all of the time.”
- Combining connection and reliability rates shows that a slim majority (54%) of Basotho enjoy a reliable supply of electricity, including just one-third (34%) of rural residents and 42% of citizens experiencing high lived poverty.
- About one in seven Basotho (14%) say they use sources of electricity other than the national grid. Solar panels are by far the most popular alternative power source.
- Electricity ranks fifth among the most important problems that Basotho want their government to address.
- Nearly six in 10 citizens (58%) say the government is doing a poor job of providing a reliable supply of electricity, though this represents an improvement in recent years. Negative assessments are particularly widespread among rural residents (71%), less educated respondents (69%), and the poor (66%).
Lesotho’s recurring droughts have exposed the country’s energy vulnerability, reducing water levels and severely impacting the country’s capacity for hydropower generation (Mokhethi, 2024). The hydropower sector is responsible for 90% of Lesotho’s electricity, and analysts have warned that the country’s reliance on a single energy source is unsustainable, especially in the face of climate change (Lesotho NewsDesk, 2025).
Imports from neighbouring South Africa and Mozambique have helped meet the country’s current energy needs, underscoring Lesotho’s dependency challenges (Keketso, 2026). Through Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and by launching various solar and wind initiatives, the Lesotho government hopes to hit its target of 100% renewable energy production by 2030 (International Trade Administration, 2025).
According to United Nations Lesotho (2024), access to grid electricity stands at 80.6% in urban areas and 37.7% in rural area. This disparity can be explained in part by Lesotho’s rugged terrain and dispersed settlements, which leave many remote communities lacking in basic electricity infrastructure (Yengane, 2024).
Rural households continue to rely primarily on biomass for cooking, space heating, and water heating, all of which present health risks and exacerbate climate change (World Bank, 2025).
Afrobarometer survey findings provide an on-the-ground look at electricity access in Lesotho. While seven in 10 Basotho live in zones served by the electric grid, only slightly more than half enjoy a reliable supply of electricity, including just one-third of rural residents and four in 10 of
the poor. About one in seven Basotho say they use sources of electricity other than the national grid, mostly solar panels.
Electricity ranks fifth on the list of problems that Basotho want their government to address. Nearly six in 10 citizens say the government is performing poorly on this priority.
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