Despite raising renewable energy capacity to 70 GW, Africa's share of the global total is declining

  • Africa’s renewable energy capacity more than doubled between 2015 (34.6 GW) and 2024 (70 GW).
  • Despite this growth, Africa’s global share fell from 1.87% in 2015 to 1.57% in 2024.
  • The decline in global share highlights that other regions are expanding renewable energy capacity much faster than Africa.
  • Between 2020 and 2024 alone, Africa added 18.5 GW of renewable energy capacity.
  • The sharpest annual increase occurred between 2022 and 2023, with capacity rising by 6.4 GW.
  • The percentage share of global renewable energy for Africa has consistently trended downward since 2018.
  • Africa’s renewable energy growth, while positive, is not yet keeping pace with the global energy transition.

Africa’s renewable energy sector has experienced steady growth in installed capacity over the last decade, increasing from 34.6 GW in 2015 to 70 GW by 2024. This shows a commitment to expanding clean energy infrastructure across the continent.

However, while the volume has more than doubled, Africa’s share of global renewable energy capacity has actually declined. This reveals a concerning trend: other regions are accelerating their investments and scaling up much faster than Africa.

Source:

IRENA

Period:

2015-2024
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