This report presents Ember''s analysis of Africa''s imports of solar panels from China. The Chinese solar panel export data gives valuable insights because it includes imports up to June 2025, at a monthly
According to a new analysis of China''s solar panel exports data from energy think tank Ember, solar panel imports into the continent jumped 60% in the 12 months through June
Africa''s drive to build its solar manufacturing industry continues to rely on China''s vast renewable energy ecosystem. Despite abundant raw materials, African nations struggle to
China (Traditional Chinese: 中國; Simplified Chinese: 中国; Hanyu Pinyin: Zhōngguó; Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongguó) is a cultural region, ancient civilization, and nation in East Asia. It is one of
As China – the world''s largest solar panel producer – continued to make technological advances and subsidise production, costs were expected to decline even further,
China, [h] officially the People''s Republic of China (PRC), [i] is a country in East Asia. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the second-most populous country after India,
Physical map of China showing major cities, terrain, national parks, rivers, and surrounding countries with international borders and outline maps. Key facts about China.
This report presents Ember''s analysis of Africa''s imports of solar panels from China. The Chinese solar panel export data gives valuable insights because it includes
Jinko Solar, the world''s biggest solar panel maker, bagged a contract on April 29 to supply 25 megawatt of the latest N-type TOPCon PV modules to the Oshivela project in Namibia, Africa''s first decarbonized
Until then, China remains the leader in the solar panel manufacturing sector. The nations of Africa have turned to Chinese-made solar panels to accelerate the deployment of
A broad range of facts about China, probably the world''s most interesting country: from geography to history, economy to national icons, and fun facts.
China''s floating solar panels are not yet a direct electricity source for Africa, but their technology and investment are sparking local energy initiatives. With thoughtful planning,
According to a new analysis of China''s solar panel exports data from energy think tank Ember, solar panel imports into the continent jumped 60% in the 12 months through June 2025,...
African nations imported a record 1.57 gigawatts (GW) of solar panels from China in a single month—the strongest signal yet that the continent is embracing the sun as its most
Jinko Solar, the world''s biggest solar panel maker, bagged a contract on April 29 to supply 25 megawatt of the latest N-type TOPCon PV modules to the Oshivela project in
China has gained other choke points through its policies of manufacturing self-reliance. It is the world''s dominant producer of the ingredients needed to make antibiotics and
Chinese solar firms are increasingly focusing on Africa''s renewable energy market, tapping into the continent''s abundant solar potential and addressing critical electricity shortages.
South Africa, Egypt and Morocco have been leading the field in this area — but utility-scale projects are multiplying in a growing number of other African nations, from Senegal
China, the largest of all Asian countries, occupies nearly the entire East Asian landmass and covers approximately one-fourteenth of the land area of Earth, making it almost

This report presents Ember’s analysis of Africa’s imports of solar panels from China. The Chinese solar panel export data gives valuable insights because it includes imports up to June 2025, at a monthly granularity, and for every country in the world. The data can be found in Ember’s China Solar Export Explorer.
The vast majority of Africa’s solar panels come from Chinese imports. That is because China produced 80% of the world’s solar panels in 2024, and is by far the biggest exporter. Africa depends heavily on imports because domestic solar panel manufacturing is still limited.
The first evidence of a take-off in solar in Africa is now here: The last 12 months saw a big rise in Africa’s solar panel imports. Imports from China rose 60% in the last 12 months to 15,032 MW. Over the last two years, the imports of solar panels outside of South Africa have nearly tripled from 3,734 MW to 11,248 MW.
Africa depends heavily on imports because domestic solar panel manufacturing is still limited. Morocco recently doubled manufacturing to 1 GW per year, and South Africa has a similar capacity, and there are much smaller manufacturing lines in some countries including Egypt and Nigeria.
In the last two years, the imports of solar panels have tripled outside of South Africa. They rose from 3,734 MW in the 12 months to June 2023, to 11,248 MW in the 12 months to June 2025. The increase in imports is more than a single month spike. Monthly imports jumped to a record in December 2024, but have consistently elevated since.
Africa’s solar panel imports set a new record in the 12 months to June 2025, reaching 15,032 MW — a 60% increase on the 9,379 MW imported in the preceding 12 months. The last time imports surged was in 2023, when South Africa solar imports picked up as the power crisis hit its peak.
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