Book excerpt: Capacity building for the power sector is an important national responsibility, which Governments in Africa need to seriously address. The inability of Governments to mobilize the required level of investment and commitment to the development and retention of a wide array of skills needed by the power sector is, in part, responsible for many of the difficulties that are faced by the region's electricity industry.Under the aegis of the AFREPREN Capacity Building Theme Group, a regional study and four country studies (Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Ethiopia and South Africa) addressed the capacity building question in the African power sector. This volume presents the findings of the studies.The studies analyse issues of manpower recruitment, training and retention in national power utilities. They also highlight the challenges and implications of capacity building initiatives in a reforming electricity industry and propose innovative options for capacity building in the region's power sector.