China all in one solar system in Angola

The agreement paves the way for, within a few years, Angola to have a solar panel industry based on the exploration of quartz, as well as the production of metallurgical silicon and polysilicon, to produce solar panels.

From Algeria on the Mediterranean coast to landlocked Zambia in the south, countries across Africa have been importing significantly more solar panels from China this year than in the past, which analysts say could be the start of a massive effort to help meet the continent's power demands with renewable energy instead of fossil fuels.

Jones tracks the value of Chinese solar panels exported to different countries using Chinese customs data. In the first five months of 2025, he found at least 22 African countries imported more solar panels than they did during the same period last year, with most of them doubling the amount.

Since Chinese solar companies have significant price advantages over manufacturers in other countries, they are always the go-to option for supplying Africa's solar demand. There are two types of demand driving the solar boom in African countries, Echard says.

The world has reacted in two drastically different ways to Chinese-made, low-cost solar panels. Some countries, led by the United States, are using tariffs to deter the influx of Chinese panels and encourage domestic production; others, like Pakistan, are welcoming them with open arms.

In North Africa, countries like Algeria and Egypt are building massive utility-scale solar power plants that require large numbers of panels. But in Sub-Sahara Africa, the panels are being imported by more rural communities in places that traditionally haven't been connected to the grid at all.