This study examines how economic freedom moderates the relationship between financial inclusion and energy access in Africa, a topic that remains underexplored despite global and continental commitments like Sustainable Development Goal 7 and Agenda 2063’s Aspiration 1.4. This was achieved by examining both the direct effect of financial inclusion on energy access and the moderating role of economic freedom, with a comparison between rural and urban areas for 33 African countries from 2004 to 2022. Using an Instrumental Variable Two Stage Least Squares (IV-2SLS), the study finds that financial inclusion significantly improves access to electricity and clean energy, with stronger effects observed in rural regions. Economic freedom also enhances energy access, especially in rural areas. However, its individual components such as regulatory efficiency, rule of law, government size, and open markets tend to benefit urban areas more, except for government size, which favours rural access. The study also find a joint effect between financial inclusion and economic freedom on energy access, particularly in countries with low electricity access, where their synergy leads to improved outcomes. In high-access countries, financial inclusion alone plays a more prominent role. The study recommends that policymakers promote private-sector involvement to enhance economic freedom and support broader, more inclusive energy access across Africa.