In the early 1990's, South Africa embarked on a program to massively expand grid access. After almost two decades, the story continues to unfold, and it is filled with lessons and examples that inform current thinking about energy policy and technology in other developing economies. South Africa is now in the early stages of a new effort to integrate renewables onto its grid system on an unprecedented scale. In this talk I will describe recent developments there, and relate them to equally important developments in other countries in Africa, and elsewhere where unreliable access to modern energy remains a serious daily concern, and an impediment to economic progress.