The South Africa's National electrification programme was endorsed in 1994 (through the Reconstruction and Development Programme, RDP) to amongst other objectives address the electrification backlog in the Country. This paper focuses on the extent and impact of the National Electrification Programme in selected areas in Buffalo City Municipality, in Eastern Cape from 1994 to date. Progress of the programme is assessed in the light of achieving universal access to electricity by 2015. The paper further investigates the electrification impact in the context of other national electrification objectives of poverty alleviation and social upliftment. Recommendations are made towards achieving universal access of electricity in the Municipality and using electrification to stimulate a wide range of income generating activities to the indigent/poor households.