Morocco ranked fourth among Africa’s biggest importers of solar panels from China between July 2024 and June 2025, according to a new report by energy research group Ember. But the country’s imports of refined oil during the same period were nearly 80 times higher than its solar panel purchases.
The report, titled The First Signs of Africa’s Solar Takeoff, found that South Africa dominated the continent’s imports of Chinese-made solar panels, accounting for 3,784 megawatts. Nigeria followed with 1,721 megawatts, then Algeria with 1,199 megawatts, and Morocco with 915 megawatts.
Ember said solar imports into Africa surged over the past 12 months, with shipments from China alone rising 60% to 15,032 megawatts, up from 9,379 megawatts in the previous year.
“The last time we saw such a sharp increase was in 2023, when South Africa boosted imports amid a severe electricity crisis,” the report said. “This time, the growth has been more widespread, with much of the increase happening outside South Africa.”
The research group noted that 20 African countries set new records for solar panel imports in the year ending June 2025, compared to just 15 countries a year earlier. Twenty-five countries imported at least 100 megawatts, up from 15 in the prior period.
The impact could be significant for power generation. In Sierra Leone, for example, if all the imported panels were installed, they could generate electricity equal to 61% of the country’s total output in 2023, the report said. Across 16 African countries, the new imports could add more than 5% to national electricity production.
Still, solar imports remain dwarfed by oil shipments. Ember reported that Morocco’s refined oil imports exceeded its solar panel imports by a factor of 80. In Nigeria, oil imports were more than 100 times greater, while in Algeria the ratio was just two to one.
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