New ESI Africa report charts the rise of solar power, battery innovation and transformative investment shaping the continent’s clean energy future
In Cape Town, South Africa, Africa’s clean energy revolution is gaining unstoppable momentum. The newly released ESI Africa Solar & Storage Volume 2025 paints a picture of a continent moving decisively toward a decentralized, renewable-powered future — one defined by record solar imports, groundbreaking storage technologies, and far-reaching policy shifts.
According to the report, solar panel imports across Africa soared to 15 gigawatts by mid-2025, a remarkable 60% year-on-year increase. This surge signals not just a technological shift but a profound economic and social transformation.
“Africa’s solar surge is now measurable, material, and reshaping the continent’s energy economy. This Volume captures the pace and depth of change from bold innovations to the partnerships and policies driving them” – said Nicolette Pombo-van Zyl, Editor-in-Chief at ESI Africa
The solar boom is about cleaner electricity and more about empowerment. In many African households, solar home systems have become a symbol of independence, enabling families to light their homes, power businesses, and keep children studying after dark. For rural communities long excluded from national grids, solar mini-grids are rewriting the story of access and inclusion.
At the business level, energy-intensive industries and urban entrepreneurs are turning to solar and battery systems to beat blackouts and cut costs. From Cape Town’s smart grid pilots to Nairobi’s rooftop solar startups, the sector is spawning a new generation of African tech innovators and clean-energy jobs.
The Volume highlights the rise of bifacial and perovskite modules and the advent of so-called “zombie” solar cells with efficiencies exceeding 30%. It also explores how the next wave of energy storage technologies, from vanadium redox flow to metal-hydrogen batteries, could help Africa leapfrog older systems and design solutions better suited to its unique climate and grid realities.
Continue reading with Eandel
Subscribe to unlock the complete story and receive your subscriber benefits.
