from DION HENRICK in Cape Town
Western Cape Bureau
CAPE TOWN, (CAJ News) – AFRICA’S solar market is entering a new phase of rapid expansion, with record installations and growing demand creating opportunities for developers, technology providers, manufacturers, investors and service companies.
The momentum will be showcased at Solar Africa Expo, which will take place alongside the Africa Energy Indaba 2027 in Cape Town from 2–4 March.
The event, hosted at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, will bring together governments, utilities, independent power producers, investors, developers and technology companies from across Africa and beyond.
Solar Africa Expo will provide a dedicated platform for businesses involved in solar photovoltaic (PV), battery storage and distributed energy to connect with decision-makers and potential partners.
The timing reflects the accelerating growth of the continental market. According to the Global Solar Council’s Africa Market Outlook for Solar PV 2026–2029, Africa installed about 4,5 GW of new solar PV capacity in 2025, representing a 54 percent year-on-year increase and the fastest annual growth recorded on the continent.
South Africa led installations with approximately 1,6 GW, followed by Nigeria with 803 MW, Egypt with 500 MW and Algeria with 400 MW. Eight African countries installed more than 100 MW during the year, compared with four in the previous year.
Growth is also spreading beyond the continent’s established markets, with Morocco, Zambia, Tunisia, Botswana, Ghana and Chad among countries recording meaningful additions.
The opportunity extends well beyond large utility-scale projects. Businesses, mines, industrial facilities, commercial property owners and households are increasingly investing in their own generation capacity as they seek more reliable, affordable and resilient electricity.
This is driving demand across the solar value chain, including rooftop systems, commercial and industrial installations, mini-grids, battery energy storage, inverters, engineering services and digital energy-management technologies.
Organisers say the Expo’s proximity to the Africa Energy Indaba will give exhibitors access to the wider ecosystem needed to turn technologies into projects, including governments, regulators, utilities, financiers, developers and engineering companies.
Africa’s vast solar resources could help address persistent electricity shortages, particularly when combined with battery storage and distributed-generation systems.
However, investment, finance, regulation, infrastructure and reliable supply chains remain essential to converting potential into actual capacity.
Solar Africa Expo aims to connect the companies providing the technology with the organisations capable of deploying and financing it.
With exhibition opportunities now available, organisers are positioning the event as a gateway for African and international companies seeking to participate in the continent’s accelerating solar economy.
– CAJ News