Africa has the potential to bypass a century of centralised, carbon-heavy power systems and move straight to a digital, distributed and low-carbon grid, but only if project execution matches project ambition, says global energy technology company Schneider Electric Middle East and Africa Zone president Walid Sheta. He argues that electrification, efficiency and smart grid management form the continent’s fastest route to economic growth and, in elaborating on Africa’s energy transition, he says that demand fundamentals create “an historic opening”.