As Africa’s Solar Panel Imports Rise By 60% Y-o-Y
The latest news analysis of solar panel importation to Africa by Ember, a leading energy think tank, indicated that China’s solar panel exports into Nigeria increased to 1,721 MW year-on-year as of the end of June this year.
With the latest importation figures, Nigeria overtook Egypt to become the second-largest importer of solar panels in the continent while Algeria ranked third with 1,199 MW.
Totally, the analysis reflected that Africa’s solar panel importation rose by 60% year-on-year by June 2025, with varied implications for the electricity system of many countries in the continent.
- Advertisement -
The analysis shows that Africa’s solar panel imports set a new record in the 12 months to June 2025, reaching 15,032 MW, representing 60% increase when compared with 9,379 MW imported from China between June 2023 and June 2024
The data reflected that the last time imports surged was in 2023, when South Africa solar imports picked up as the power crisis hit its peak. However, in the latest report from Ember much of the pick-up in the last 12 months happened outside of South Africa.
According to the report’s findings, 20 countries set a new record for the imports of solar panels in the 12 months to June 2025, as 25 countries imported at least 100 MW, up from 15 countries 12 months before.
The Ember’s analysis showed that some countries also recorded very high growth rates with Algeria’s imports rising 33-fold, Zambia eightfold, Botswana sevenfold, and Sudan sixfold, while Liberia, DRC, Benin, Angola and Ethiopia all more than tripled their imports.
Despite these record imports of solar panels, there is no data to know how many have yet been installed.
Commenting on the rising trend of solar panel importation to Africa, Program Director at Renewables First, Muhammad Mustafa Amjad, said: “Bottom-up energy transitions fueled 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”, the industry expert added.
The analysis further revealed that recent imports could make a major contribution to electricity generation in many African countries.
For instance, it showed that if fully installed, imports in Sierra Leone in the last 12 months could generate electricity equivalent to 61% of reported electricity generation in 2023, while in Chad the figure is 49%.
Similarly, Ember projected that Liberia, Somalia, Eritrea, Togo and Benin could see generation rise by more than 10% of reported 2023 generation, adding that in total, 16 countries could see an increase of over 5%.
The report describes how solar panel imports may actually reduce overall imports, reflecting that savings from avoiding diesel can repay the cost of a solar panel within six months in Nigeria, and even less in other countries.
Ember, in the analysis further found that in nine of the top ten solar panel importers, the import value of refined petroleum eclipses the import value of solar panels by a factor of between 30 to 107.
It, however, admitted that further evidence was urgently needed to understand the rapid rise in solar across Africa and its potential to expand electricity systems, as no single data source captures the full picture, and much more research and reporting are required.
In his remarks on the report’s findings, Chief Analyst at Ember, Dave Jones, said: “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.”
Ember noted that this surge was still in its early days as Pakistan experienced an immense solar boom in the last two years, but Africa is not the next Pakistan – yet, pointing out, however, that change happens quickly and the first evidence is now captured in its latest findings.
