Africa projects 17 gigawatts of solar in 2026

A 45 percent annual jump would mark a third straight record year as West African countries turn to mini-grids.

African nations are on track to install 17 gigawatts of solar capacity in 2026, marking a 45 percent increase over the previous year.¹

The projection, published in a joint analysis by the energy think tank Ember and the African Tech Futures Lab, would represent the continent's third consecutive record year for solar additions.¹ The accelerating buildout reflects a shift toward distributed renewable generation across regions where centralized grid infrastructure has historically struggled to keep pace with population growth.

The expansion comes as national governments and international agencies confront persistent energy shortfalls across sub-Saharan Africa. Inadequate energy and infrastructure investment has left nearly 600 million people across the continent without access to electricity, according to regional energy data.¹ In response, policymakers are increasingly turning to solar installations to bridge supply deficits that conventional utility grids have failed to resolve.

Off-grid networks in Francophone West Africa

While utility-scale solar farms account for large volumes of added capacity, off-grid systems are taking on a primary role in rural electrification. In a separate assessment, the International Renewable Energy Agency examined the deployment of decentralized networks across Francophone West Africa. The agency found that off-grid renewable energy has the potential to play what it described as "a more central role" in climate adaptation across the region, while simultaneously addressing critical gaps in basic infrastructure.¹

The agency highlighted solar mini-grids as particularly important for remote communities that sit far outside the reach of national electricity grids. According to the agency, decentralized installations are "crucial for expanding access to dispersed and underserved populations" across seven West African nations: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Senegal.

In several of those countries, rural electrification rates remain extremely low. The agency's data indicates that electricity access in certain rural districts across the seven tracked nations ranges from 2 percent to 10 percent.¹ Connecting those areas through traditional grid extensions requires substantial capital expenditure for high-voltage transmission lines, making standalone mini-grids a faster alternative for local power generation.

Financing rural mini-grids

Governments in the region are pairing policy support with private-sector contracts to accelerate local deployment. Last year, Nigeria entered into a $200 million agreement with a renewable energy company designed to connect rural communities through solar mini-grid installations.¹

The Nigerian agreement reflects a broader procurement trend across West Africa, where commercial operators build and manage localized solar systems under performance-based contracts. By deploying small-scale generation and storage directly within rural settlements, operators can deliver steady electricity for lighting, agriculture, and small businesses without waiting for long-distance grid connections.

If installation rates match the 17-gigawatt forecast for 2026, the continent will maintain its steepest multi-year growth trajectory to date. The joint findings from Ember and the African Tech Futures Lab suggest that the combination of utility-scale projects and off-grid networks is beginning to alter the pace of electrification, even as hundreds of millions of residents remain unconnected.

Reporting note: this piece draws on published research by Ember, the African Tech Futures Lab, and the International Renewable Energy Agency, released August 28, 2026.

Source: Ember, African Tech Futures Lab, and IRENA via Semafor, August 28, 2026.

References

This article is based on 1 source, listed in the order they are cited.

1. 1 PJ Preeti Jha announcement · 28 Aug 2026 Africa set for solar installations record in 2026 See the source