Africa soaks up the sun as solar energy surges
Prices of solar panels have fallen 40% to 50% in just 18 months. Solar now costs as little as three US cents per kilowatt hour – cheaper than diesel and lower than many African electricity tariffs.
African countries are importing solar panels from China at record rates. Energy thinktank Ember says imports rose 60% in the 12 months to June 2025, as Africa’s power needs converge with China’s overproduction and low prices.
Sierra Leone’s imports, if installed, would generate electricity equivalent to 61% of its entire 2023 power output. Algeria, which is using solar to free up gas for export, recorded the highest import surge: 33 times more than the previous year. Algeria plans 11 solar projects, with work already under way on a 300MW plant in Biskra province.
Prices of solar panels have fallen 40% to 50% in just 18 months. Solar now costs as little as three US cents per kilowatt hour – cheaper than diesel and lower than many African electricity tariffs.
Europe used to be the leading market for Chinese solar panels. But, as the Financial Times reports, there is such a glut there now that people in Germany and the Netherlands use solar panels as garden fencing. The US has restricted imports of solar panels from China. These realities are forcing China – which makes 80% of the globe’s solar panels – to aggressively seek new markets.
The import boom is also driven by growing demand in Africa, says Ted Ongamo, a Nairobi-based energy consultant. “Companies are raising capital to grow their market shares of solar home systems. Commercial and industrial demand is strong too.”
South Africa alone is working towards at least 6GW of solar capacity by 2030. Zambia, where drought has disrupted hydroelectricity generation in recent years, is turning to solar. Botswana aims for 50% of its energy to come from renewable sources by 2036.
Nigeria’s demand is driven by its chronic electricity crisis, with diesel generators still outproducing the grid. Here, Ember notes, savings on diesel are so high that a solar panel pays for itself in six months. Elsewhere, Sudan’s conflict has destroyed critical grid infrastructure, pushing people towards solar.