Unlocking renewable energy entrepreneurship potential in Sub-Saharan Africa: Trends, hotspots, and emerging business opportunities (2005–2025)

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa faces critical energy challenges that constrain socio-economic growth, with over 600 million people lacking access to electricity. Renewable energy entrepreneurship has become a key mechanism for bridging the energy access gap. However, the research domain remains insufficiently integrated, with no systematic synthesis of publication trends, thematic structures, collaborative networks, or knowledge gaps specific to this intersection. This study maps renewable energy entrepreneurship research in Sub-Saharan Africa to identify publication trends, leading contributors, thematic hotspots, and emerging business opportunities. The Scopus database was used as the primary data source to retrieve 293 documents published from 2005 to 2025. Thereafter, Bibliometric analyses were conducted using the Bibliometrix R-package and VOSviewer to examine publication trends, collaboration networks, and keyword co-occurrences, complemented by qualitative content analysis. The results indicate an annual growth rate of 17.69% in publications. South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Rwanda emerged as top contributors from Africa, with strong linkages to bioenergy, solar photovoltaic, mini-grids, and community-based business models. Thematic hotspots include bioenergy value chains, solar entrepreneurship, decentralised mini-grids, gender-inclusive enterprises, and circular economy innovations. Emerging business opportunities include pay-as-you-go solar, waste-to-energy, digital financing, and public-private partnerships. The study provides a systematic, evidence-based synthesis for policymakers, entrepreneurs, and researchers to enhance innovation, promote inclusive entrepreneurship, and align renewable energy initiatives with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.