Africa leads growth in solar energy as demand spreads beyond traditional markets

A report says Africa was the fastest-growing solar market in 2025, with installed capacity up 17% and large imports of Chinese-made panels; working solar capacity still trails the volume of equipment shipped to the continent.

Africa was the fastest-growing solar market in 2025, according to an industry report, and the continent's installed solar capacity rose 17% that year. This expansion came amid a global slowdown in solar growth and was supported by large imports of Chinese-made panels. Much of the equipment shipped to Africa has not yet been fully deployed as working capacity. Policymakers and industry leaders are discussing local manufacturing and technology transfer as part of the next phase of development. Key facts: - Africa's installed solar capacity expanded 17% in 2025, while global solar capacity grew 23% to 618 GW. - About 23.4 gigawatts peak (GWp) of working solar capacity is in use, compared with nearly 64 GWp of solar equipment shipped to Africa since 2017. - Twenty countries set new annual records for solar imports in the latest year, and 25 countries imported at least 100 megawatts of capacity. Nigeria overtook Egypt as the continent's second-largest importer. - Falling prices for panels and batteries, largely from China, helped make solar-plus-storage more affordable for households and businesses. - Battery storage costs reported in Africa fell to $112 per kilowatt-hour in 2025 from about $144 per kilowatt-hour in 2023. - Governments' unclear long-term policies and shifting tax or import rules remain a cited challenge for companies operating across multiple African markets. Summary: The reported growth is shifting the momentum in renewable energy toward a broader set of African markets and is supporting new jobs in installation, maintenance and related services. Several countries are pursuing local manufacturing and partnerships to build capacity, while policy uncertainty in some markets remains a factor to watch for stakeholders. Undetermined at this time