Africa is on course for a record 17 Gigawatt (GW) of solar in 2026, Ember estimates

Africa is expected to install a record 17 gigawatts of solar in 2026, with about three-quarters of that capacity in distributed systems that official statistics still struggle to see, according to Ember analysis published in October 2026. Installations rose about 45 percent year on year, after gains of 51 percent in 2025 and 25 percent in 2024. Ember expects 36 of Africa’s 54 countries to set installation records this year.

South Africa’s share of African installations is expected to fall below 20 percent for the first time since 2019. Six countries are now gigawatt markets on Ember’s estimate: South Africa 3.3 GW, Egypt 2.0 GW, Nigeria 1.7 GW, the Democratic Republic of the Congo 1.7 GW, Algeria 1.4 GW and Morocco 1.0 GW. Year-on-year growth above 100 percent is estimated in 19 countries, including 544 percent in the DRC, 282 percent in Zimbabwe, 176 percent in Egypt and 117 percent in Zambia.

The pattern matches what installers see on the ground. Much of the new capacity is commercial rooftop, estate and hybrid backup plant, not only utility farms. That is why customs data and installer surveys are currently a better guide than some national capacity registers.

In June 2026 the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank said Mission 300 had connected more than 50 million people across 40 countries since July 2023. Tanzania, Nigeria and Ethiopia were the leading beneficiaries in reporting carried by the African Power Platform. Kenya connected about two million people and Malawi about 1.9 million. The pace is real. It is also still well short of the 2030 target, and the International Energy Agency has said universal access in Africa needs on the order of $15 billion a year, against less than $2.5 billion committed for new connections in sub-Saharan Africa in 2023.

Kowatek Solar said the Ember figures confirm what its project pipeline already shows: Nigerian demand is shifting from emergency generators to designed solar-and-storage plants. The firm’s engineering offer for that shift is set out at www.Kowatek.com.

Media contact:

Kowatek Solar LTD

Royalty Plaza, 261 DBS Road, Central Area, Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria.

Tel: +234 817 539 3233

Web: www.Kowatek.com

About Kowatek Solar:

Kowatek Solar LTD designs and delivers premium solar, lithium storage and hybrid power systems for homes, estates, businesses, hotels, churches, schools and industrial sites. Headquartered in Asaba, Delta State, with an international track in Canada, the company was founded in 2021 and focuses on engineered systems that cut diesel dependence and keep essential loads online. Learn more at www.Kowatek.com or read the company profile at www.Kowatek.com/about.