plate 004 · Energy
Africa's solar imports more than doubled since early 2024
Chinese solar panels imported by Africa, rolling 12-month totals in gigawatts.
23 GW
Africa imported 23 GW of Chinese solar panels in the 12 months to June 2026, up from 9.6 GW in early 2024.
3×
Africa outside South Africa nearly tripled its imports, from 3.7 GW to 11.2 GW in two years.
From 52% to 20%
South Africa's share of Africa's imports fell from 52% in 2023 to 20%: the boom has spread across the continent.
the numbers
| Imports (GW) | |
|---|---|
| 12 months to Feb 2024 | 9.6 |
| 12 months to Jun 2025 | 15.0 |
| 12 months to Jun 2026 | 23.0 |
source notes & method
Rolling 12-month windows as published by Ember; windows are not calendar years. Pakistan figure from Ember Global Electricity Review 2025.
Published 17 Sep 2026
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