Egypt has secured second place in Africa’s solar energy rankings, climbing up five positions with an installed capacity of 707 megawatts (MW) by the end of 2024, according to the Solar Energy Industry Association in Africa.
According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) released on Saturday, March 8, 2025, South Africa holds the top position with 1,235 MW, while Zambia follows in third place with 74.8 MW.
By 2024, solar power projects across Africa are expected to achieve a total capacity of 40 gigawatts (GW), with Egypt and South Africa playing a major role in the continent’s clean energy investments. Together, both countries contribute 78 percent of Africa’s total solar energy capacity.
In 2024, solar energy is expected to account for 0.5 percent of global energy production, while Africa’s solar capacity is projected to reach 19.2 GW.
Egypt’s expanding solar sector is driven by rising natural gas import costs and a decline in domestic gas production. In 2024, two major projects in the Kom Ombo region contributed 700 megawatt-peak (MWp), bringing the country’s output close to South Africa’s 748 MWp from large-scale projects in the same year.
In November 2024, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced Egypt’s goal to raise the share of renewables in its electricity mix to 42 percent by 2030, up from the current 11.5 percent generated by solar, wind, and hydropower.
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