Africa recorded its strongest year for solar energy growth in 2025, with South Africa and Nigeria emerging as the leading contributors to new capacity, policy progress, and private-sector investment.
This is according to the Africa Market Outlook for Solar PV: 2026–2029 report released on Tuesday by the Global Solar Council (GSC).
The surge reflects a broader continental shift toward renewable energy, as governments work to close electricity access gaps, reduce reliance on fuel imports, and meet climate targets.
GSC noted that the continent added 54 per cent more solar capacity in 2025 than in 2024, marking the highest annual deployment ever achieved.
The report underscores that solar development in Africa is accelerating, not slowing, as more countries expand investments to meet rising energy demand.
What the report is saying
The report highlights how solar adoption is spreading beyond a handful of early leaders, with multiple countries scaling significant capacity additions in 2025.
“In 2025, eight African countries installed over 100 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity, up from just four the year before, while several more markets came close,” the Global Solar Council stated.
South Africa led the continent, adding 1.6 gigawatts (GW) of new solar capacity.
Nigeria followed with 803 MW, while Egypt added 500 MW of new installations.
Nearly 44 per cent of the new capacity came from distributed systems, including rooftop solar, mini-grids, and commercial and industrial installations, though official figures may undercount these contributions.
More Insights
The report predicts that Africa’s solar market will continue to grow at a robust pace over the next few years.
By 2029, the continent could install more than 33 GW of solar capacity—over six times the 2025 total.
Continued policy reforms, improved grid infrastructure, innovative financing mechanisms, and declining technology costs will be critical to sustaining momentum.
The expansion of both utility-scale and distributed solar markets is expected to accelerate across an increasing number of African countries.
The combination of abundant sunlight and rising energy demand positions solar power as a key driver of Africa’s energy transition and economic development.
Get up to speed
Nigeria is emerging as a major solar market, supported by both policy reforms and rising private-sector investment:
- The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) estimates that at least 5 million off-grid solar systems are required to serve underserved communities.
- The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has proposed rules allowing solar users to sell excess electricity back to the national grid to improve returns and grid stability.
- Nigeria imported over 4 million solar panels in 2023, valued at $200 million, with imports reaching N125.29 billion by early 2025, reflecting growing demand in rural and peri-urban areas.
In 2024, Nigeria added 63.5 MW of new solar capacity, bringing total installed capacity to 385.7 MW, driven by both public and private sector participation.
These trends demonstrate the accelerating adoption of solar power across Nigeria and the wider African continent.
What you should know
South Africa and Nigeria are leading Africa’s solar surge, positioning the continent to capitalize on abundant sunlight, declining technology costs, and supportive policy frameworks.
- Solar energy is now central to Africa’s plans for economic growth, energy security, and expanding access to reliable electricity.
- Nairametrics reports that senior solar industry executives and independent energy analysts are entering 2026 with sharply divergent expectations for the sector.
These outlooks reflect growing uncertainty driven by policy shifts, changing financing conditions, supply chain dynamics, and uneven demand across both global and emerging markets.
