Simply sit, stand or lie in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Take in a deep breath, inhaling slowly and all the way into your belly. Hold your breath for a moment, then exhale slowly. Repeat for however long you like.
Short or long, meditation has the power to change your mood, your day, and even your life. If you’ve never tried a short meditation, why not do it today? You might be amazed at what happens.
Several people on Twitter and other theatre kid-dominated social media platforms have responded to these offensive, misguided reviews of The Lightning Thief by demanding that major publications employ younger theatre critics who will give teen musicals a fair chance. I think that this is part of the solution, but I also think it’s imperative that we urge the existing older critics to stop looking down on shows written for teenagers simply because they’re for teenagers, and instead to cast aside their adult perspectives and ask themselves: “is this the kind of show my teen self would have wanted, even needed, to see?”
It’s vital to foster an environment where all kinds of musicals can flourish to the highest.
Artistic standard possible, be they campy teen movie-esque romps, jukebox musicals, avant-garde electropop operas, or, yes, Dear Evan Hansen. And if critics are genuinely worried that encouraging the rise of teen musicals will cause them to take over Broadway entirely
Daina Limey
Leaving nothing for overly serious adults to enjoy, then all I can do is point out once again that before very recently it was the teenagers who had nothing just for them on the musical theatre stage. So, maybe, said critics just need to count their blessings and find another fantasy.
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Never in my life had I been so surprised, but the habit of military discipline is strong within me, and I dropped my little machine lightly to the ground and advanced on foot as I had seen the others do. As I halted before the officer, he addressed me in a voice audible to the entire assemblage of troops and spectators.
Why Power Cuts Still Plague Africa — Despite Renewable Growth
Across Africa, frequent power outages — often called load shedding or rolling blackouts — are no longer occasional inconveniences but daily realities affecting millions of homes, businesses and critical services. While renewable energy (especially solar) is expanding rapidly, the historic lack of investment in grid infrastructure and generation capacity means that even when new renewable plants are built, they can’t always eliminate outages on their own. ~600 million Africans still lack access to electricity entirely, and for those connected to the grid, reliability remains a major obstacle to economic growth and quality of life.
In many African nations, the electricity situation has become deeply intertwined with economic, climatic and governance issues. Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are among the countries with the worst power shortages, where unreliable supply has broad social and economic costs. In Nigeria — often cited as experiencing the most severe outages on the continent — the national grid has collapsed repeatedly, with businesses losing an estimated trillions of naira annually due to instability, outdated infrastructure and lack of investment.
South Africa’s crisis has been particularly dramatic because it is one of Africa’s most industrialised economies.
Eskom, the state utility, operates ageing coal plants that frequently break down and fail to meet demand. Load shedding has become a routine occurrence, with households and businesses facing scheduled and unscheduled cuts lasting several hours a day. The energy supply shortfall has eroded productivity, investor confidence and everyday life.
Meanwhile, in other nations like Zambia and Zimbabwe, droughts have dramatically reduced hydropower output — a key source of electricity in countries dependent on dam reservoirs — forcing extended load shedding that can last over ten hours per day. In Ghana, limited gas supplies and overburdened grids have also led to frequent blackouts, with significant economic losses. Even Benin and Burundi struggle with daily outages due to infrastructure faults, theft of equipment and limited generation capacity.
All of these problems share a common root: generation capacity has not kept pace with demand, and where it has, the grid infrastructure needed to carry power reliably is often weak or poorly maintained. Moreover, many African power systems were originally designed around large, centralised fossil‑fuel plants; integrating new renewable generation into these networks requires upgrades that have lagged behind.
Renewable Energy: Rapid Growth and Real Potential
Despite these challenges, renewable energy — especially solar power — has emerged as a critical and rapidly expanding solution across the continent. Africa receives some of the world’s highest levels of solar irradiance, yet until recently held only a tiny fraction of global solar generation capacity. In 2025, Africa’s cumulative solar capacity surpassed 20 GW, with more than 10 GW still under development; solar projects now include utility‑scale plants, commercial rooftop installations, rural minigrids and solar home systems.
This growth has real benefits. In rural and underserved areas, solar mini‑grids and home systems have brought electricity for the first time, powering businesses, schools and clinics. In Mali’s Karan village, for instance, a solar mini‑grid has provided 24/7 electricity to thousands of residents, enabling commercial activity and replacing costly diesel generators — a dramatic example of how renewables can transform daily life even where traditional grids struggle.
In South Africa, the boom in rooftop solar installations — driven by relaxed regulations and tax incentives — has helped alleviate some pressure on the national grid. Businesses and households generating their own power reduce peak demand on Eskom, improving stability and in some cases lowering the severity of load shedding. During periods when distributed solar supplies a significant share of daytime demand, Eskom has been able to perform maintenance on coal plants and reduce outages.
In Zambia, utility‑scale solar projects like the Chisamba Solar Power Plant (100 MW) represent important steps toward diversifying the energy mix away from vulnerable hydro sources. By adding solar capacity to its grid, Zambia aims to reduce dependence on drought‑affected hydropower and improve supply reliability.
Across West Africa, major investments — including up to 1,000 MW of new solar capacity backed by Chinese funding — are underway to tackle frequent blackouts and boost electricity availability. Countries such as Kenya, which still faces load shedding, are advancing renewables alongside grid upgrades.
International support is also ramping up. In 2025, the European Union pledged substantial funding (over €545 million) for clean energy and electrification projects in African nations — including transmission lines, rural electrification efforts and utility‑scale solar and wind installations. These programs are seen as important steps in closing the energy access gap and stimulating clean job creation.
Why Renewables Alone Aren’t Enough Yet
While renewable deployment is growing, it has not yet fully solved the power cut problem — and there are several reasons why. Understanding these helps explain why outages persist even as solar farms rise.
1. Grid Infrastructure Isn’t Keeping Pace
One of the biggest bottlenecks to reliable electricity in Africa is the ageing transmission and distribution network. Many grids were built decades ago, designed for a few large, central power plants, and are ill‑equipped to handle new, decentralized renewables. Integrating solar, wind or other intermittent sources requires modern grid management technologies, expanded transmission lines and storage systems — investments that many countries have struggled to fund.
Without these grid improvements, even new renewable capacity can go underutilised or fail to deliver power dependably to where it’s needed most. Delays in building out transformers, substations and smart grid technologies mean that outages remain common even when generation exists.
2. Financing Gaps Still Hamper Expansion
Renewable projects require significant upfront capital for planning, equipment, grid connection and storage solutions. Although international investment has increased, access to affordable financing remains uneven, especially for smaller countries and rural areas. Many investors still view African energy projects as risky due to regulatory uncertainty, currency risks, and governance challenges. International partnerships and development finance institutions are helping, but much more private capital is needed to scale up renewables rapidly.
3. Climate and Hydropower Vulnerability
Hydropower remains important in many African countries, but it is increasingly unreliable due to climate change. Prolonged droughts have decimated reservoir levels in places like Zambia’s Kariba Dam, leading to severe power shortages and exposing the vulnerability of depending too heavily on a single renewable source. Even highly renewable grids require a mix of energy sources — wind, solar, hydro and flexible backup generation — to maintain reliability in the face of weather variability.
4. Political and Institutional Barriers
Power sector reform is inherently political and complex. Governments often subsidize electricity to keep prices low, which can underfund utilities and deter private sector participation. Corruption, mismanagement and lack of transparent regulation in some utilities also discourage investment. For instance, in Nigeria, outdated infrastructure and poor maintenance have been compounded by governance issues, making reform difficult.
Emerging Solutions and What’s Next
Despite the obstacles, there are promising signs that a more resilient and renewable‑powered African energy future is emerging. Multiple innovations and policy shifts are underway:
Expanding Distributed Generation
The rise of solar home systems, rooftop PV and mini‑grids is decentralizing Africa’s energy landscape. Instead of relying on a single grid, communities — especially those far from central generation — can self‑generate clean power with batteries that provide storage for nighttime use. This is already improving reliability for many rural and peri‑urban households, reducing dependency on fossil‑fuel generators.
Grid Upgrades and Modernisation
Several countries are investing in grid modernisation to better integrate renewables. Smart grid technologies, advanced metering, and improved transmission lines are being deployed to reduce losses, better balance supply and demand, and allow for two‑way power flows from small producers back into the grid.
Policy Reforms and Incentives
Reducing taxes on solar imports, offering tax credits for rooftop systems, and creating clearer regulatory frameworks are encouraging private investment in renewables. Such policies are helping accelerate adoption in countries like South Africa and Kenya, where distributed solar is rapidly expanding.
Blended Energy Mixes
Experts increasingly emphasise the need for diversified energy portfolios that combine solar, wind, hydro, and firm (dispatchable) generation to ensure reliability. Studies suggest that integrating renewables with flexible backup — including repurposed fossil infrastructure, battery storage, or even modular gas turbines — can provide stable, cost‑effective power while reducing carbon emissions.
Regional Energy Trade and Large‑Scale Projects
Mega‑projects like the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam — which aims to add over 5,000 MW of hydroelectric capacity — highlight how regional cooperation could improve power availability. Ethiopia plans to export power to neighbouring countries once the dam reaches full capacity, showing how such infrastructure can bolster regional electricity security.
Conclusion: Power Cuts Today, Power Promise Tomorrow
Africa’s energy landscape is at a critical juncture. Frequent power cuts remain a daily burden, slowing economic growth, disrupting services and imposing hidden costs through expensive backup generation. These outages reflect decades of underinvestment, climate impacts, weak infrastructure and governance challenges. However, the rapid rise of renewable energy — especially solar — is reshaping the continent’s energy future. Renewables are already providing reliable power in rural communities, reducing pressure on vulnerable grids, and in some cases, mitigating severe outages.
To fully harness this promise, however, African nations — with the support of international partners and private capital — must continue building out grid capacity, reforming energy markets, diversifying energy sources, and creating policies that make clean energy affordable and reliable for all. If these efforts continue and accelerate, Africa’s transition to a low‑carbon and resilient energy system could not only reduce power cuts but also fuel economic development, support climate goals and bring electricity to millions who still lack it.