Africa-China Cooperation in Green Electrification

This policy brief analyzes how African nations can leverage China's dominance in green energy technology and shifting financing models to accelerate electrification. It highlights a 'window of opportunity' created by US-China geopolitical tensions and China's internal focus on national security and environmental sustainability. The author recommends that African governments professionalize project pipelines, adopt innovative financing to reduce sovereign debt, and pursue regional integration—citing examples like the Southern African Power Pool and Kenya's renewables sector—to ensure long-term developmental gains.

• Africa faces a 'polycrisis' where a significant infrastructure deficit—exacerbated by colonialism and population growth—intersects with climate change. Approximately 43% of Africans lack access to dependable electricity, and climate-related disruptions are estimated to cause losses of 2–5% of GDP for African countries.
• China's leadership in green energy is driven by a national security paradigm under President Xi Jinping, which integrates energy security and environmental security. This has led to the 'Made in China 2025' plan, identifying electric vehicles and sustainable energy as indispensable for national security, and resulted in China producing about 80% of the world's solar components.
• Chinese overseas energy financing has shifted from a historical bias toward coal-fired power plants to a 'small is beautiful' approach. Following a 2021 announcement to stop funding overseas coal plants and a retreat during the COVID-19 crisis, new models favor smaller projects, shorter repayment windows, and mixed financing to reduce sovereign debt impact.
• Geopolitical tensions between the US and China, including US tariffs on Chinese renewable products and a US pivot away from decarbonization under Donald Trump's second term, have created a window of opportunity for Africa. Chinese companies, facing barriers in the Global North, are increasingly looking to the Global South, potentially offering price-sensitive African countries lower-cost components.
• To maximize benefits from Chinese cooperation, African governments must professionalize project development. The document cites Kenya as a leading example where the establishment of an ongoing project pipeline has been a key factor in the success of its renewables sector.
• There is potential for regional integration in green energy, using the SADC Southern African Power Pool as a precedent. Emerging sectors—such as lithium refinement in Zimbabwe, solar capacity in South Africa, and green hydrogen in Namibia—could form a regional green industry ecosystem if supported by cohesive cross-border strategies.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2025). Africa-China Cooperation in Green Electrification. https://saiia.org.za/research/africa-china-cooperation-in-green-electrification/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Africa-China Cooperation in Green Electrification. 2025. https://saiia.org.za/research/africa-china-cooperation-in-green-electrification/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Africa-China Cooperation in Green Electrification |date=7 December 2025 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/africa-china-cooperation-in-green-electrification/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2025africachina, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Africa-China Cooperation in Green Electrification}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/africa-china-cooperation-in-green-electrification/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }