The findings of this report were unveiled during the Powerelec Nigeria International Trade Fair and Conference held on January 17, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria.

The Gambia has made notable strides, ranking 16th due to the commissioning of the 23 MWp Jambur Solar Plant, which has propelled it up 25 spots.

The report also highlights a substantial boom in energy storage, with capacity increasing from an average of 50 MWh per annum from 2017 to 2022 to over 1,600 MWh in 2024, driven by the declining costs of lithium-ion storage solutions.

Leading the continent, the Central African Republic generates over 40% of its electricity from solar energy.

In 2024, a notable increase in solar energy adoption is observed across Africa, with two countries installing over 100 MW, 16 countries exceeding 10 MW, and 29 countries achieving at least 1 MW.

The price of lithium-ion storage has seen a significant decrease of 20% in 2024, following a 13% drop in the previous year, largely due to production overcapacity and fierce competition among manufacturers.

In terms of installed capacity, the leading countries are South Africa (1,235 MWp), Egypt (707 MWp), Zambia (74.8 MWp), Nigeria (63.5 MWp), and Angola (53.8 MWp), excluding residential installations.

Currently, Africa boasts a total of 19.2 GWp of solar capacity, excluding residential installations, with over 2 GWp being added annually for three consecutive years, although this still represents less than 1% of the global solar market.

The top five African nations in solar energy per capita rankings are Seychelles, Mauritius, Cape Verde, South Africa, and Namibia.

Additionally, six African countries have solar energy contributing more than 10% to their overall power consumption, including Mauritania (20.7%), Namibia (13.4%), Somalia (11.6%), Malawi (11.4%), The Gambia (10.6%), and Cape Verde (10.5%).

The solar market in Africa remains heavily concentrated, with South Africa and Egypt together accounting for nearly 80% of new installations in 2024, at 50% and 29% respectively.

However, Nigeria is notably absent from the list of countries experiencing a surge in solar installation demand, according to the Africa Solar Outlook 2025 report.