Rising solar demand in Africa spurs push for home-grown component factories

Solar installations are expanding rapidly in Africa’s two largest economies, driving policymakers in South Africa and Nigeria to seek greater local manufacturing of photovoltaic components. At present, the region’s industrial base can only handle assembly, leaving the supply of panels, cells, inverters and batteries largely dependent on Chinese exporters. Energy analysts point out that the entrenched Chinese supply chain means any shift toward African production will likely take years. However, recent U.S. tariffs on Chinese polysilicon may create incentives for manufacturers to relocate some capacity to the continent, and Ethiopia has been highlighted as a potential destination for such investment.