Posted on 6th January 2026 | Modified on 6th January 2026
Cheap Chinese solar panels have the potential to transform the economics of African SMEs and households.
Solar power generation has gone from almost nothing in 2019 to roughly 10% of South Africa’s electricity-generating capacity, reports the New York Times.
“China has driven the prices of solar panels so low it’s really rock bottom at the moment,” Charl Gous, president of solar systems installer Aces Africa, told the NYT.
Solar imports from China rose 50% in the first 10 months of 2025, according to the energy tracking company Ember.
In the past five years, South Africans has installed solar panels representing more than seven gigawatts, or about a tenth of the total installed capacity of 55 gigawatts. Most is privately owned
China is bidding on contracts worth $25 billion from the state-owned utility, Eskom, to add about 8,700 miles of transmission lines and then operate them commercially.
Eskom is under financial pressure as more and more South Africans install solar and no longer use Eskom’s coal-generated electricity. Even deputy electricity minister Ms. Graham-Maré, installed a solar system in her home. Her energy bill, she said, fell by two-thirds.
David Manners
David Manners has more than forty-years experience writing about the electronics industry, its major trends and leading players. As well as writing business, components and research news, he is the author of the site’s most popular blog, Mannerisms. This features series of posts such as Fables, Markets, Shenanigans, and Memory Lanes, across a wide range of topics.
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