• Africa imported 18.8 GW of Chinese solar panels, up 48%

• Egypt, Algeria, South Africa among top buyers exceeding 1 GW

• Lower prices drive demand as renewables expand across continent

African countries imported 18.8 gigawatts (GW) of Chinese solar panels in 2025, up from 12.7 GW in 2024, a 48% increase, according to the Global Electricity Review 2026 published Tuesday by Ember, a think tank focused on accelerating the global clean energy transition. The total exceeds three times the capacity of Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD), the continent’s largest hydroelectric project, at 5.15 GW.

The increase comes as China scales back exports to the United States and Europe, partly due to higher tariffs. The report also highlights a sharp rise in Egypt’s purchases of Chinese panels, which reached 2.3 GW in 2025, up from 1 GW in 2024. Algeria increased its imports sixfold, from 0.35 GW to 2.1 GW over the same period.

According to the latest update of Ember’s China Solar PV Export Explorer database, based on data from China’s General Administration of Customs, five African countries imported more than 1 GW of Chinese panels last year: Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ten others imported more than 0.3 GW: Morocco, Kenya, Sudan, Zambia, Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania, Namibia, Cameroon and Tunisia.

Demand is driven mainly by lower prices. Premium Chinese solar panels are typically 20% to 30% cheaper than comparable products from other Asian exporters, said Terje Osmundsen, chief executive of Norwegian solar developer Empower New Energy, as quoted by The Wire China.

The report also says renewable energy overtook coal in Africa in 2025, supported by rapid solar expansion and the commissioning of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which boosted the country’s hydroelectric output.

South Africa, however, remains heavily reliant on coal. The fuel still accounts for 81% of the country’s electricity mix, the second-highest share globally after Mongolia at 86%.

Globally, solar power was the main driver of growth in the energy sector in 2025, accounting for about 75% of the increase in electricity demand. Solar generation reached 2,778 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2025, up nearly 30% from 2024, an increase of 636 TWh.

Solar also accounted for 8.7% of global electricity generation in 2025, surpassing wind power at 8.5%.

Walid Kéfi