Africa: 20 Countries shatter solar panel records
The take-off of solar in Africa is a pivotal moment. This report is a call to action, urging stronger research, says Ember’s Dave Jones
There has been a major pick-up in solar panel imports into Africa over the past 12 months – a shift that is likely to impact almost every country on the continent. The latest data compiled by energy think-tank Ember provides evidence that a solar pick-up is happening at scale in many countries in Africa.
The analysis shows that Africa’s solar panel imports set a new record in the 12 months to June 2025, reaching 15,032MW – a 60% increase on the 9,379MW imported in the preceding 12 months.
The report presents Ember’s analysis of Africa’s imports of solar panels from China.
Methodology in determining solar panel sales into Africa
“The Chinese solar panel export data gives valuable insights because it includes imports up to June 2025, at a monthly granularity, and for every country in the world,” says the Ember report.
The data can be found in Ember’s China Solar Export Explorer. It is sourced from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC), using the code 85414300 “Photovoltaic cells assembled in modules or made up into panels.”
The value in US dollars is then converted by Ember into megawatts of solar panel capacity using average monthly PV module price sourced from InfoLink Consulting Group.
The report points out that the latest data provides evidence that a solar pick-up is happening at scale in many countries in Africa.
“Solar is not new to Africa. For more than two decades, solar has helped improve lives across Africa, in rural schools and hospitals, pay-as-you-go in homes, street lighting, water pumping, mini-grids and more.”
However, South Africa and Egypt are currently the only countries with installed solar capacity measured in gigawatts, rather than megawatts.
The first evidence of a take-off in solar in Africa is now here – Ember
- The past 12 months saw a big rise in Africa’s solar panel imports. Imports from China rose 60% in the last 12 months to 15,032MW. Over the past two years, the imports of solar panels outside of South Africa have nearly tripled from 3,734MW to 11,248MW.
- The rise happened across Africa. 20 Countries set a new record for the imports of solar panels in the 12 months to June 2025. 25 Countries imported at least 100MW, up from 15 countries 12 months before.
- These solar panels will provide a lot of electricity. The solar panels imported into Sierra Leone in the past 12 months, if installed, would generate electricity equivalent to 61% of the total reported 2023 electricity generation, significantly adding to their electricity supply. They would add electricity equivalent to more than 5% to total reported electricity generation in 16 countries.
- Solar panel imports will reduce fuel imports. The savings from avoiding diesel can repay the cost of a solar panel within six months in Nigeria, and even less in other countries. In nine of the top 10 solar panel importers, the import value of refined petroleum eclipses the import value of solar panels by a factor of between 30 to 107.
This surge is still in its early days, the report cautions.
It highlights that Pakistan experienced an “immense solar boom” in the past two years, “but Africa is not the next Pakistan – yet.”
“However, change happens quickly. And the first evidence is now here. Initial analysis suggests the growth may be driven more in distributed solar than in utility-scale solar.”
The Chinese solar export data used in the report is an important source of data, but it is only a partial view. More detailed and localised research is needed to fully track solar’s rise in Africa, the report says.
“The take-off of solar in Africa is a pivotal moment. This report is a call to action, urging stronger research, analysis and reporting on solar’s rise – to ensure the world’s cheapest electricity source, fulfils its vast potential to transform the African continent,” said Dave Jones, Chief Analyst, Ember.
Muhammad Mustafa Amjad, Programme Director, Renewables First, said bottom-up energy transitions fuelled by cheap solar are no longer a choice – “they’re our future.”
“Tracking these additions is what makes the difference between a messy shift and an organised, accelerated one. When you don’t track, you lose time and opportunities. Pakistan’s experience shows this clearly; Africa’s transition will happen regardless, but with timely data it can be more equitable, planned, and inclusive,” said Amjad.
Last spike a few years back
The report says the last time imports surged was in 2023, when South Africa solar imports picked up as the power crisis hit its peak.
“However, this time is different – much of the pick-up in the last 12 months happened outside of South Africa. In the last two years, the imports of solar panels have tripled outside of South Africa.
“They rose from 3,734MW in the 12 months to June 2023, to 11,248MW in the 12 months to June 2025. The increase in imports is more than a single month spike.”
Monthly imports jumped to a record in December 2024, but have consistently elevated since, says the report.
“While the December surge initially raised questions – potentially driven by Chinese manufacturers meeting year-end sales targets – the data now indicates this is part of a broader, structural trend.”
Surge in solar happening across Africa
Twenty countries set new records for solar panel imports in the 12 months to June 2025, says the report – all those had imports of at least 30MW; a further seven countries also set a record, but for much smaller volumes.
The growth rate in some countries was very high.
“Perhaps the biggest surprise in the data is that 25 countries imported 100MW or more – up from 15 countries 12 months before.
“South Africa remained the biggest solar importer in the 12 months to June 2025. Nigeria was second, overtaking Egypt in the last 12 months, and Algeria rose to third place,” the report notes.
While the data paints a significant uptick for solar adoption in Africa, the report stresses that “unfortunately there is not one definitive piece of evidence to understand the full picture of solar growth in Africa, and much more data, research and reporting is needed.”
Cover photo: The Mwalumina Rural Health Centre in Chongwe is powered via a solar PV installation. Source: unicefzambia/X
