Africa’s solar ambitions face a new dependence on China
Africa’s rapid expansion of solar power is becoming more than a quick-fix answer to chronic electricity shortages in the region, but a test of whether a new dependence on China will last.
The reliance exposes a difficult contradiction: Africa is pursuing a homegrown solar industry while remaining heavily reliant on China for the technology and supply chains driving its expansion, according to the Associated Press and The Independent on 8 August.
Africa’s installed solar capacity grew 17% in 2025, making it the world’s fastest-growing solar market even as global growth slowed, with demand spreading beyond established markets. South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria, Zambia and Botswana are among countries recording sharp increases in imports. Meanwhile, falling panel and battery prices are also making solar increasingly competitive with diesel and unreliable electricity grids, turning renewable energy quickly from what was initially an environmental ambition into an economic necessity.
Rapid deployment does not necessarily mean greater independence. Nearly 64 gigawatts of solar equipment has been shipped to Africa since 2017, compared with about 23.4 gigawatts of operating capacity. The gap points to a wider problem: importing equipment can accelerate electrification, but it does not automatically create the industrial capacity needed to sustain it. Much of Africa’s emerging manufacturing remains concentrated in assembly, while higher-value, more sophisticated components continue to come from abroad.
Chinese companies have helped accelerate Africa’s transition by supplying the region with affordable panels, batteries, investment and technical expertise. For countries facing severe electricity shortages, access to low-cost technology can deliver power far sooner than building an entirely domestic supply chain.
If Chinese investment helps develop skilled workers while building local factories and domestic supply chains, external dependence could become a bridge towards industrialisation. If production remains largely confined to lower-value assembly while technologically important components are imported, however, Africa risks expanding its solar capacity without capturing a comparable share of the economic value.
Unpredictable taxes and weak industrial strategies can discourage the long-term capital required to build competitive domestic manufacturing. African governments therefore face a difficult balancing act: keeping solar affordable enough to expand access today while creating the conditions for greater domestic production tomorrow.
AP, The Independent, Maghrebi.org
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