Africa Is Buying a Record Number of Chinese Solar Panels
https://www.wired.com/story/african-imports-of-chinese-solar-panels-increase/
Posted by wiredmagazine
Africa Is Buying a Record Number of Chinese Solar Panels
https://www.wired.com/story/african-imports-of-chinese-solar-panels-increase/
Posted by wiredmagazine
2 comments
From Algeria on the Mediterranean coast to landlocked Zambia in the south, countries across Africa have been importing significantly more [solar panels from China](https://www.wired.com/story/tandem-solar-panel-cells-efficiency-energy/) this year than in the past, which analysts say could be the start of a massive effort to help meet the continent’s [power demands](https://www.wired.com/story/solar-energy-farming-depleting-worlds-groundwater-india/) with renewable energy instead of fossil fuels.
In May 2025, African countries imported a combined 1.57 Gigawatts of solar panels from China, an all time high. (Think of it as adding three-fourths of the capacity of the Hoover Dam in one month.) Dave Jones, chief analyst at the global energy think tank Ember, notes that the spike didn’t come from relatively affluent African countries like South Africa, but rather from nearly two dozen smaller nations.
Jones tracks the value of Chinese solar panels exported to different countries using Chinese customs data. In the first five months of 2025, he found at least 22 African countries imported more solar panels than they did during the same period last year, with most of them doubling the amount. One of the most striking examples is Algeria, which imported 0.76 GW of solar panels in the first half of 2025, a 6,300 percent increase from the year before.
Read more: [https://www.wired.com/story/african-imports-of-chinese-solar-panels-increase/](https://www.wired.com/story/african-imports-of-chinese-solar-panels-increase/)
If they get a good deal, go for it. Far better even to borrow money for power than poorly considered things like big government buildings or glory and ego boosting palaces.
China is basically dumping solar panels at or below production costs now. The ROI for commercial plants (done well) is probably over 10-20%. And it will at least promise to benefit regular citizens and the economy somewhat especially if this is followed by better distribution infrastructure.
While it takes a fair bit to make the panels, running solar power plants are not that complicated relatively speaking. Definitely need good engineers but not something that requires tons of PhDs and world class technicians and knowhow.
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