African Nations Promote Locally Produced Solar Panels - CleanTechnica

At COP30, African nations emphasized their determination to move beyond reliance on foreign aid and take control of their renewable energy futures. African leaders highlighted the continent’s vast mineral wealth—over 30% of the world’s critical minerals—and argued that Africa should become an industrial hub for clean energy technologies rather than merely an importer. Currently, China dominates Africa’s solar panel market, supplying about 60% of imports between June 2024 and June 2025, with Nigeria and South Africa as the largest importers. However, experts and officials advocate for investing in local design labs and manufacturing to retain economic value, create jobs, and reduce emissions, drawing parallels to China’s successful automobile industry growth through joint ventures and technology transfer. Several African countries rich in minerals like cobalt, lithium, and manganese—such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, and Gabon—are encouraged to move beyond raw material exports and develop local processing and manufacturing capabilities. While China’s dominance in solar manufacturing remains strong due to