2026 Africa Solar PV Policy Update: Accelerating Opportunities, Opening Markets
Since 2026, the process of energy transition on the African continent has continued to accelerate. Countries across the continent have intensively introduced supportive policies for solar photovoltaic (PV) new energy, focusing on tax reductions, simplified approvals, and quantified installed capacity targets to address power shortages and promote the large-scale development of renewable energy. As one of the world’s fastest-growing regions for renewable energy, Africa is opening wider to global investment and technology.
Currently, Africa has become one of the most promising markets for global PV new energy growth. In 2026, Africa will add approximately 17GW of new power, of which PV accounts for more than 50%, becoming the core source of energy increment. From a regional perspective, key countries such as South Africa, Morocco, and Kenya have clear policy orientations, building a broad cooperation platform for PV enterprises.
As a core PV market in Africa, South Africa has continued to deepen energy reforms in 2026. The "2026 National Energy Transition Act" was officially implemented, restructuring the traditional power utility Eskom, opening up private investment in high-voltage power grids, shortening the approval period for green energy projects to 194 days, and clarifying the medium and long-term goals of adding 25GW of PV and 8.5GW of energy storage by 2039. It also proposed the requirement that the localization rate of PV/energy storage reach 50%/60% by 2030. According to latest plans, South Africa will add dozens of gigawatts of solar and storage capacity in the medium to long term, while encouraging local manufacturing and supply chain localization.
In North Africa, Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria have made vigorous policy efforts, forming a coordinated development trend. Morocco has elevated energy transition to a national strategy. The 2026 fiscal bill increases the budget for PV and green hydrogen projects, designates exclusive land and launches large-scale tenders, aiming for renewable energy to account for 52% by 2030. Egypt is accelerating the construction of Africa’s largest solar-storage project (1GW PV + 600MWh energy storage), which will officially enter commercial operation in June 2026. Algeria will have 9 PV power stations with a total of 1480MW connected to the grid in 2026, and at the same time promote the long-term goal of 15000MW of renewable energy.
Markets in East Africa and West Africa also show a booming development trend. Kenya has clarified that its cumulative PV installed capacity target will increase from 1.5GW in 2024 to 2.8GW in 2026, implementing policies such as exemption from import tariffs on PV equipment, zero VAT rate, and net metering electricity price, and simplifying the approval process. Nigeria continues the off-grid PV subsidy and tax exemption policy for equipment imports, focusing on residential PV and microgrid construction, with the goal of reaching 5GW of PV installed capacity by 2030.
From the perspective of overall industry trends, Africa’s PV policies in 2026 show four common characteristics: first, quantifying installed capacity targets and clarifying the development path of renewable energy; second, strengthening incentive guarantees, with tax reductions and simplified approvals as the core measures to reduce investment thresholds; third, promoting diversified scenarios, with simultaneous development of large-scale ground-mounted power stations, commercial and industrial PV, and off-grid microgrids; fourth, focusing on local coordination and encouraging enterprises to participate in the construction of local industrial chains. These policy orientations are highly consistent with ECOREESUN’s development strategy. As an enterprise deeply engaged in the PV field for many years, ECOREESUN, relying on its core advantages of leading technology, reliable products, and perfect services, as well as its profound accumulation in crystalline silicon solar cell modules, PV system engineering, BIPV and other fields, has implemented relevant cooperation projects in many African countries, achieving the same frequency resonance between policy dividends and enterprise development.
Industry experts said that 2026 is the "policy fulfillment year" for Africa’s PV market and a key year for Chinese PV enterprises to deeply participate in regional cooperation. With the continuous implementation of policies in various countries and the continuous improvement of power grid infrastructure, the long-term potential of Africa’s PV market will continue to be released.
Singapore
