Africa set to install 17 GW of solar in 2026

Africa is expected to install 17 GW of solar in 2026, up 45% on 2025, according to Ember and the African Tech Futures Lab. In 36 of the continent's 54 countries, annual volume is expected to be a record, driven by businesses and consumers.

Ember's analysis of 26 August 2026 estimates that 75% of the solar capacity added from 2023 to 2025, 20 of 26 GW, was distributed generation financed by private investment. Commercial and industrial customers account for at least 80% of this capacity in most markets, and commercial systems can pay back in 2 to 5 years.

Those who finance, therefore, are those who consume. This is why the expansion escapes official statistics, as Ember points out. In most countries energy exported to the grid is not remunerated, and systems are sized for self-consumption.

For suppliers and financiers, the market lies in the balance sheets of companies that want to reduce their energy bill. A payback of two to five years helps explain the pace.