Chinese renewable investment in Africa totaled $66 billion from 2010 to 2024
NAIROBI, Kenya — Chinese renewable energy investment and related construction projects in Africa reached $66 billion between 2010 and 2024, according to the think tank ODI Global, a footprint that now frames a manufacturing push by four of the continent’s largest economies.
Ethiopia, South Africa, Morocco and Nigeria have stepped up efforts to localize solar equipment manufacturing, from module assembly to more advanced production, in what industry analysts describe as a response to both industrial ambition and growing unease over dependence on imports from China that dominate the global market.
China’s exports of solar cells and other components have soared, partly because of a glut in supply back home, and industry experts say the country is likely to retain its dominant global role in making those components even as African economies build out their own capacity.
The $66 billion ODI Global tally underscores the depth of the supply relationship the four economies are seeking to change by manufacturing more solar equipment closer to home.