The Power of the Sun

Access to electricity remains a major challenge in many parts of Africa. In remote villages, people still rely on candles or paraffin lamps for light after dark. Even in large cities that are connected to the grid, power cuts are common.

Fortunately, Africa has a wealth of renewable energy resources, especially solar energy. Areas such as the south Sahara, where there is plenty of sunshine, offer immense potential for green power generation, particularly well suited to photovoltaic energy.

In recent years, the photovoltaic sector on the continent has experienced spectacular growth and has become a pillar of Sino-African cooperation in the field of clean energy. This pragmatic partnership is based on Africa’s urgent need for electricity, its abundant natural resources and the technical expertise of Chinese companies.

Today, in some African villages, daily life is changing: children are reading under electric lamps, households are cooking with electricity, and clinics are better equipped to treat patients with functional medical equipment. Photovoltaic energy projects not only improve living conditions, but also stimulate local socio-economic development.

A promising belt 

Access to electricity is one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, as well as a key priority in the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Global Development Initiative proposed by China. The Beijing Action Plan (2025-2027) released at the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) highlights China’s willingness to work with African countries to promote the implementation of the Africa Solar Belt programme. This programme aims to strengthen the capacity of African countries to deal with climate change through material assistance, technical exchanges, training and joint research.

Launched at the first Africa Climate Summit in September 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, the Africa Solar Belt programme has received a financial commitment from China of 100 million yuan (around $14 million). The aim of this funding is to bring electricity to more than 50,000 African homes by 2027. The programme also includes the creation of an exchange platform between China and Africa, to facilitate the sharing of technologies and the training of local professionals in the field of solar energy and climate management.

Since its launch, China has initiated discussions with 10 African countries. Five of the countries in question – Chad, São Tomé and Príncipe, Togo, Mali and Burundi – have already entered into memorandums of understanding with China. It is estimated that these partnerships will provide 20,000 households with access to electricity.

At the 2024 FOCAC Summit, China and Burundi entered into an agreement pertaining to this programme, with a commitment to supply 4,000 solar energy systems. Seminars on climate change, clean energy and joint research programmes are scheduled to accompany this initiative.

In addition, training programmes have been established with the objective of enhancing local capabilities. The Africa Solar Belt seminar, held from 25 August to 7 September in China’s capital Beijing and Yancheng in east China’s Jiangsu Province, brought together 23 participants from 10 African countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Burkina Faso. The topics covered a range of technical, political and financial aspects related to the development of renewable energy, along with the chance to visit Chinese companies and industrial parks with a focus on this sector.

According to Song Jing, a researcher at the World Resources Institute, this is one of the “small and beautiful” projects that offers a more localised solution to the electricity needs of households in Africa than the large power plants built by China. In addition to raising living standards, it enhances economic activity, particularly family farming.

Fruitful collaboration

Long before the launch of the Africa Solar Belt programme, Chinese companies were already engaged in the advancement of solar energy in Africa. Through technological collaboration and financial support, they are contributing to the continent’s energy transition.

The 50-mw Garissa Solar Power Plant in Kenya, financed and constructed by Chinese companies, has been generating in excess of 76 million kwh per annum since 2019. The plant, the largest in East Africa, supplies electricity to 70,000 households, or around 380,000 people, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 64,000 tonnes a year.

Similar initiatives are emerging across the continent. Zimbabwean economist Brains Muchemwa highlighted the significant benefits that China’s solar industry growth, particularly the availability of affordable products such as solar panels and batteries, is bringing to Africa. 

A report by the Africa Solar Industry Association indicates that an increasing number of African countries are making investments in this sector. It is anticipated that installed solar power capacity in Africa will reach 650 gw by 2050, up from 16.3 gw in 2023. This represents a year-on-year growth of 19 percent, which was a record for the continent.

For African businesses, partnerships with Chinese companies are essential. The Groupe filatex, Madagascar’s leading private energy producer, has begun installing solar panels on the roofs of its industrial estate to supply electricity directly to local industries. The group is aiming to achieve 166 mw of renewable energy by 2026.

China, Africa’s most significant partner in the development of clean energy, is playing a pivotal role in this transition. Through the transfer of technology and the provision of training, it is contributing to the continent’s sustainable development, as evidenced by the Africa Solar Belt programme.