TURN THE LIGHTS ON: A multilevel analysis of sustainable energy implementation in the global south: The case of Monkey Bay, Malawi

Abstract: Nation-wide access to sustainable energy is central to socio-economic development in Malawi. It is particularly challenging in rural areas where a significant amount of the population does not have access to energy, let alone sustainable energy. Nonetheless, renewable electricity deployment is slowly increasing in rural Malawi and manifests itself on the local, national as well as the international level. To analyse this manifestation at the respective levels as well as their interaction, Actor-Network theory has been applied taking sustainable energy technology as the focal point of inquiry. By allowing for agency of technology, this paper contributes to the current developments in Techno-Anthropology while opening up the field of sustainable energy implementation in the Global South, a new field of research within the discipline. Furthermore, illuminating networks of sustainable energy in the Global South, can contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 – ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.