Africa’s largest economies are stepping up efforts to manufacture solar equipment locally as governments pursue industrialisation goals and seek to reduce dependence on imported Chinese products.
Ethiopia, South Africa, Morocco and Nigeria are among the countries expanding local solar assembly and manufacturing, reflecting growing interest in building domestic renewable-energy industries.
However, China continues to dominate the global solar supply chain, creating challenges for African countries seeking greater self-sufficiency.
In South Africa, Eskom plans to establish a 1-gigawatt solar manufacturing facility as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s domestic production capacity.
Nigeria has also recorded growth in solar equipment assembly. Local capacity has increased from about 120 megawatts to approximately 300 megawatts over the past two years.
Despite these developments, Africa currently lacks commercial-scale solar cell manufacturing. This means new factories remain dependent on imported Chinese components for some of the most technologically advanced stages of solar production.
Chinese investment is also contributing to the development of Africa’s manufacturing and technical capabilities, helping countries build expertise and expand their renewable-energy industries.
Analysts, however, expect China’s dominance of the solar sector to become even more entrenched as African manufacturers continue to rely on Chinese components and technology.
The push for local production therefore presents both an opportunity and a challenge for the continent, offering the potential for new industries and jobs while highlighting the difficulty of breaking away from an established global supply chain.
