Review of Solar and Energy Storage Growth in Africa through 2024

Published: Jan 24, 2025 13:55 (GMT+8)

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In 2024, Africa’s cumulative photovoltaic (PV) capacity reached 19.2GW, marking an increase of 2.5GW from 2023. According to the Africa Solar Outlook 2025 report by the African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA), the continent saw consistent growth, with its third consecutive year of over 2GW of added capacity. The utility and C&I sectors contribute to the majority of the new capacity—1.78GW and 675MW, respectively. Residential installations were estimated to contribute an additional 10-20%.

The PV market in Africa continues to be led by South Africa and Egypt, which added 1.2GW and 707MW, respectively, in 2024. Zambia, Nigeria, and Angola followed with smaller contributions, totaling 74.8MW, 63.5MW, and 53.8MW, respectively. Despite this growth, Africa’s share of global PV installations fell to 0.5% in 2024, its lowest since 2013, underscoring the continent's underutilized solar potential.

In the energy storage sector, Africa experienced a significant increase, with cumulative storage capacity rising from 150MWh in 2023 to 1,641MWh in 2024. This growth is driven by decreasing prices for stationary storage solutions. AFSIA also noted a 21% rise in the continent’s project pipeline, with 40GW of new project proposals, despite challenges posed by risks and uncertainty.

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