Southern Africa Review

Southern Africa

Where access to clean cooking changed in Southern Africa

Access to clean cooking reached an estimated 90% in South Africa in 2024, up from 57% in 2000. Lesotho rose from 16% to 58%, while Zambia’s estimate fell from 15% to 10%.

Sources checked

Southern Africa Review Editorial Team

2000 and 2024Access to clean cooking by country

2000

Shared scale · 0% to 90%

  • Botswana45%
  • Lesotho16%
  • Mozambique2%
  • Namibia33%
  • South Africa57%
  • Zambia15%

The same scale compares the share primarily using clean cooking at the start and end of the series.

Source 1

Access to clean cooking, 2000 to 2024

Shared scale from zero to 100.00 %. A gap marks a year without an observation.

Botswana

Botswana · %2000: 45.00 · 2001: 47.00 · 2002: 49.00 · 2003: 50.00 · 2004: 52.00 · 2005: 53.00 · 2006: 55.00 · 2007: 55.00 · 2008: 56.00 · 2009: 57.00 · 2010: 57.00 · 2011: 58.00 · 2012: 59.00 · 2013: 60.00 · 2014: 60.00 · 2015: 62.00 · 2016: 63.00 · 2017: 64.00 · 2018: 65.00 · 2019: 66.00 · 2020: 67.00 · 2021: 68.00 · 2022: 69.00 · 2023: 70.00 · 2024: 71.00

20002024

71.00 % · 2024

Lesotho

Lesotho · %2000: 16.00 · 2001: 18.00 · 2002: 19.00 · 2003: 21.00 · 2004: 23.00 · 2005: 24.00 · 2006: 25.00 · 2007: 27.00 · 2008: 28.00 · 2009: 30.00 · 2010: 31.00 · 2011: 33.00 · 2012: 35.00 · 2013: 37.00 · 2014: 40.00 · 2015: 42.00 · 2016: 44.00 · 2017: 46.00 · 2018: 47.00 · 2019: 49.00 · 2020: 50.00 · 2021: 52.00 · 2022: 54.00 · 2023: 56.00 · 2024: 58.00

20002024

58.00 % · 2024

Mozambique

Mozambique · %2000: 2.00 · 2001: 2.00 · 2002: 2.00 · 2003: 2.00 · 2004: 2.00 · 2005: 2.00 · 2006: 2.00 · 2007: 3.00 · 2008: 3.00 · 2009: 3.00 · 2010: 3.00 · 2011: 3.00 · 2012: 4.00 · 2013: 4.00 · 2014: 4.00 · 2015: 4.00 · 2016: 5.00 · 2017: 5.00 · 2018: 5.00 · 2019: 6.00 · 2020: 6.00 · 2021: 6.00 · 2022: 7.00 · 2023: 7.00 · 2024: 8.00

20002024

8.00 % · 2024

Namibia

Namibia · %2000: 33.00 · 2001: 34.00 · 2002: 35.00 · 2003: 36.00 · 2004: 37.00 · 2005: 38.00 · 2006: 38.00 · 2007: 39.00 · 2008: 39.00 · 2009: 40.00 · 2010: 40.00 · 2011: 41.00 · 2012: 42.00 · 2013: 43.00 · 2014: 43.00 · 2015: 44.00 · 2016: 45.00 · 2017: 45.00 · 2018: 44.00 · 2019: 44.00 · 2020: 44.00 · 2021: 44.00 · 2022: 44.00 · 2023: 45.00 · 2024: 46.00

20002024

46.00 % · 2024

South Africa

South Africa · %2000: 57.00 · 2001: 59.00 · 2002: 61.00 · 2003: 63.00 · 2004: 65.00 · 2005: 68.00 · 2006: 70.00 · 2007: 72.00 · 2008: 74.00 · 2009: 76.00 · 2010: 77.00 · 2011: 79.00 · 2012: 80.00 · 2013: 82.00 · 2014: 83.00 · 2015: 84.00 · 2016: 85.00 · 2017: 86.00 · 2018: 87.00 · 2019: 87.00 · 2020: 88.00 · 2021: 89.00 · 2022: 89.00 · 2023: 90.00 · 2024: 90.00

20002024

90.00 % · 2024

Zambia

Zambia · %2000: 15.00 · 2001: 15.00 · 2002: 15.00 · 2003: 15.00 · 2004: 15.00 · 2005: 15.00 · 2006: 15.00 · 2007: 15.00 · 2008: 16.00 · 2009: 16.00 · 2010: 16.00 · 2011: 16.00 · 2012: 16.00 · 2013: 15.00 · 2014: 15.00 · 2015: 14.00 · 2016: 13.00 · 2017: 12.00 · 2018: 12.00 · 2019: 11.00 · 2020: 10.00 · 2021: 10.00 · 2022: 10.00 · 2023: 10.00 · 2024: 10.00

20002024

10.00 % · 2024

Tracking SDG 7 estimates via World Bank WDI

Lesotho and South Africa recorded large gains

Lesotho’s estimate increased by 42 percentage points between 2000 and 2024. South Africa increased by 33 points and Botswana by 26 points. Mozambique rose from 2% to 8% over the same period. The measure counts the fuel or technology used for most cooking. Source 1 Source 2

Electricity access is a separate measure

Zambia’s estimate was 16% in 2010 and 10% from 2020 to 2024. The series tracks primary cooking methods. Grid or off-grid electricity can be available without being affordable or suitable for everyday cooking, and clean cooking can also use eligible fuels other than electricity. Source 1 Source 2

A percentage and a population count describe different outcomes

The country share gives a comparable measure of coverage. To estimate how many people still lack access, apply the uncovered share to the same year’s population estimate. A rising share can coexist with growth in the number of people without access. Source 2

The published estimates are rounded

The source reports whole percentages for the countries in this table. An unchanged estimate can therefore reflect rounding. Annual estimates also depend on the surveys and modelling used in the tracking series. Source 2

Sources

Open the data and source notes