Africa is having its biggest solar year ever: a record 17 gigawatts in 2026

For years the sunniest continent on Earth lagged on solar. Not anymore. An October analysis by energy think tank Ember estimates Africa will install a record 17 gigawatts of solar in 2026, up roughly 45% on last year — and 36 of the continent's 54 countries are set to log their biggest solar year ever. Six countries have now joined the gigawatt club: South Africa (3.3 GW), Egypt (2.0 GW), Nigeria (1.7 GW), the Democratic Republic of Congo (1.7 GW, up a staggering 544%), Algeria (1.4 GW) and Morocco (1.0 GW). South Africa's share of the continent's new solar has dropped below 20% for the first time since 2019 — a sign the boom is spreading. And the World Bank and African Development Bank's Mission 300 program has connected more than 50 million people to electricity since July 2023.