DAKAR, 29 August. - (ANA) - Africa is set for a record year of solar installations, according to new analysis. The continent is on track to install 17 gigawatts of solar in 2026, up 45% year-on-year, according to the global energy think tank Ember and the African Tech Futures Lab. 

 

If fulfilled, it would mark the third consecutive record year for African solar installations.

 

The analysis finds that solar growth is spreading across the continent: 36 of Africa’s 54 countries are expected to install record volumes of solar in 2026.

 

The analysis also shows that 19 countries have seen year-on-year growth of over 100%, including 544% in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), 282% in Zimbabwe and 176% in Egypt. South Africa, once responsible for over half of the continent’s solar imports, will account for less than a fifth of installations in 2026 as growth spreads to new markets.

 

In a separate study, the International Renewable Energy Agency said off-grid renewable energy has the potential to play “a more central role” in climate adaptation across Francophone West Africa, while also plugging critical infrastructure gaps. 

 

IRENA said solutions such as solar mini-grids were “crucial for expanding access to dispersed and underserved populations” in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Senegal, where rural electrification rates can range from 2% to 10% in certain areas.

 

Inadequate energy and infrastructure investment has meant nearly 600 million people in Africa still lack access to electricity. Many countries are turning to the potential of solar power: Last year Nigeria struck a $200 million deal with a renewable energy company to connect rural areas with solar mini-grids.  - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/29 August 2026 - - -