Energy access means having reliable, affordable modern energy for lighting, cooking, and productive use; energy poverty describes the lack of it, which the International Energy Agency estimates still affects hundreds of millions of people across Sub-Saharan Africa, where national electrification rates vary widely and rural areas lag far behind cities. Extending a national power grid to remote, low-density communities is often prohibitively expensive, which is why decentralized renewable solutions -- solar home systems and mini-grids -- can 'leapfrog' the need for grid infrastructure, much like mobile phones bypassed the need for landlines across the continent. This makes renewable energy not just an environmental choice but often the fastest, most practical route to electrifying underserved communities.