The first evidence of a take-off in solar in Africa

The report identifies a significant 'take-off' in solar panel imports to Africa, with imports from China rising 60% to 15,032 MW in the 12 months to June 2025. This growth is widespread, with 20 countries setting new import records and 25 countries importing at least 100 MW. The report suggests this surge may be driven by distributed solar, potentially replacing expensive diesel generation and significantly increasing electricity supply in several countries, such as Sierra Leone and Chad.

• Africa experienced a substantial increase in solar panel imports in the 12 months ending June 2025, with imports from China rising 60% to 15,032 MW compared to 9,379 MW in the previous year.
• The growth in solar imports is geographically widespread across the continent; 20 countries achieved new import records in the 12 months to June 2025, and 25 countries imported 100 MW or more, an increase from 15 countries the previous year.
• Outside of South Africa, solar panel imports have nearly tripled over the last two years, increasing from 3,734 MW in the 12 months to June 2023 to 11,248 MW in the 12 months to June 2025.
• The imported solar capacity could drastically increase electricity generation in several countries; for example, imports into Sierra Leone could generate electricity equivalent to 61% of its 2023 reported generation, and for Chad, 49%.
• Solar panel adoption is expected to reduce reliance on imported refined petroleum, particularly by replacing diesel generators. In Nigeria, the cost of a solar panel could be recovered through diesel savings within six months.
• While South Africa remains the largest importer, Nigeria has overtaken Egypt to become the second largest solar panel importer in the last 12 months, with Algeria rising to third place.
• The report suggests the current growth is likely driven more by distributed solar than utility-scale projects, noting that satellite data shows few new utility-scale projects starting construction in 2025 outside South Africa.

APA

Jones, D. (2025). The first evidence of a take-off in solar in Africa. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/08/Ember-The-first-evidence-of-a-take-off-in-solar-in-Africa-Google-Docs.pdf

Chicago

Jones, Dave. The first evidence of a take-off in solar in Africa. Ember, 2025. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/08/Ember-The-first-evidence-of-a-take-off-in-solar-in-Africa-Google-Docs.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jones |first1=Dave |title=The first evidence of a take-off in solar in Africa |publisher=Ember |date=26 August 2025 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/08/Ember-The-first-evidence-of-a-take-off-in-solar-in-Africa-Google-Docs.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jones2025first, author = {Jones, Dave}, title = {{The first evidence of a take-off in solar in Africa}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2025}, month = aug, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/08/Ember-The-first-evidence-of-a-take-off-in-solar-in-Africa-Google-Docs.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }