Nigeria Ranks Second In Africa’s Solar Import Surge
Solar panel imports into Africa rose by 60% in the 12 months to June 2025, according to a new analysis of China’s solar panel exports data from energy think tank Ember.
Imports from China, the world’s dominant manufacturer of solar panels, rose 60% in the last 12 months to 15,032 MW, a 60% increase on the 9,379 MW imported in the preceding 12 months.
In the 12 months to June 2025, Nigeria overtook Egypt to become the second-largest importer with 1,721 MW of solar panel imports in the past year to Egypt’s 854 MW. Algeria also overtook Egypt to rank third with 1,199 MW.
The growth rate in some countries was particularly high. Algeria rose 33-fold in the 12 months to June 2025, compared to the previous 12 months. Zambia rose eightfold, Botswana sevenfold, and Sudan sixfold. DRC, Angola, Ethiopia, Benin and Liberia all more than tripled.
South Africa remained the biggest solar importer in the 12 months to June 2025 with 3,784 MW, but much of the pick-up in the last 12 months happened outside of the country. 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. 20 countries set a new record for the imports of solar to panels in the 12 months to June 2025. 25 countries imported at least 100 MW, up from 15 countries 12 months before.
“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. While the December surge initially raised questions — potentially driven by Chinese manufacturers meeting year-end sales targets — the data now indicates this is part of a broader, structural trend,” the report authors find.
