Solar installations in Africa are expected to reach a record capacity of 17 gigawatts this year, according to Ember's analysis on Wednesday, although national and international statistics have yet to reflect the rapid growth due to limited reporting.
The study showed that Chinese exports of solar panels to Africa surged in the 12 months to June 2026, indicating that 100,000 solar panels are installed every day in the continent, up 45% from year-ago levels.
Of Africa's 54 countries, 36 are forecast to post record installations in 2026. Ember noted that year-over-year growth exceeded 100% in 19 countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Egypt and Zambia.
However, "half of the estimated rise in solar is missing from official statistics - because national reporting is so poor," the research firm said.
In 2025, Ember estimated Africa's solar growth at 12 GW, around twice the International Energy Agency's 6.2 GW and more than double the International Renewable Energy Agency's 4.6 GW.
Further growth of 45% in 2026 will potentially widen the gap, as "international reporting can only be as good as national reporting, and that barely exists in many countries," according to the firm.
Ember's analysis indicates that 75% of the total solar capacity installed between 2023 and 2025 is likely distributed solar, which is the most difficult to account for since this includes mostly small-scale customer-side rooftop solar.
Despite the lack of visibility on distributed solar, the research firm highlighted that "a surge in companies, registries and licenses show the solar rise is real."
With higher solar installations in 2026, total electricity generation is expected to increase by around 23 terawatt-hours per year. This is equivalent to 2.3% of Africa's electricity generation, Ember said.
"The rise in solar capacity is likely to meet much of Africa's electricity demand growth, and the sheer scale of cheap new supply could spur more demand growth too, creating huge human benefits," Ember said.