Solar panel imports into Africa rose by 60 per cent in the year to June 2025, according to a new analysis of China’s solar panel exports data from Ember.

The data shows how the rise happened across Africa, and it is at a scale to impact the electricity system of many countries with Africa’s solar panel imports setting a new record, reaching 15GW.

The last time imports surged was in 2023, when South Africa solar imports picked up as the power crisis hit its peak. However, much of the pick-up in the last 12 months happened outside of South Africa and 20 countries set a new record for the imports of solar panels in the 12 months to June 2025. 25 countries imported at least 100MW, up from 15 countries 12 months before.

In the last 12 months to June 2025, Nigeria overtook Egypt to become the second-largest importer with 1,721 MW of solar panel imports in the past year, while Algeria ranked third with 1,199 MW. Some countries recorded very high growth rates. Algeria’s imports rose 33-fold, Zambia eightfold, Botswana sevenfold, and Sudan sixfold, while Liberia, DRC, Benin, Angola and Ethiopia all more than tripled their imports.

The analysis finds that recent imports could make a major contribution to electricity generation in many African countries. If fully installed, imports in Sierra Leone in the last 12 months could generate electricity equivalent to 61 per cent of reported electricity generation in 2023, while in Chad the figure is 49 per cent.

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