Real estate developers bet on solar power

November 06, 2025

Dear subscriber,

Freedom comes at a cost, and solar is helping homeowners get it. As grid power grows more expensive and unreliable, real estate developers are designing homes with built-in solar systems. Lenders are also rewriting financing rules.

– Sammy Jamar, Editor

Terrian Town Limited, a Kenyan real estate developer, has signed a $1.2 million deal to install solar power systems across 80 villas. Each home will have 10 kW of solar panels and 20 kWh of battery storage, covering up to 80% of household energy needs. The deal is one of Kenya’s largest private-sector investments in residential solar.

  • It comes barely a few months after Kenya announced a policy under development that will mandate all new buildings to set aside zones for the installation of solar systems.

  • Real estate developers across the continent are capitalising on policy shifts to move off-grid. Growthpoint, South Africa’s largest property firm, has so far installed 80 rooftop systems with a combined capacity of 61 MW.

  • Our take: Real estate developers who integrate solar and other sustainability measures will enjoy a brand advantage… Read more (2 min)

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is expanding its local-currency lending and direct investments across Africa to help projects reach the scale needed to attract large global investors. Renewable energy, which is among the IFC’s funding priorities, is expected to benefit, helping advance projects that have so far struggled to attract investors.

  • Last year, Africa received over $15 billion in IFC commitments, mainly in debt and trade finance, with local-currency lending now accounting for 30% of its total portfolio.

  • The lack of local-currency funding had made renewables projects costly and risky, discouraging investors. Some prefer to invest only in markets where they can build portfolios worth at least $1 billion before committing long-term capital.

  • Our take: Pension funds and other domestic investors hold untapped capital that can drive long-term, local-currency funding… Read more (2 min)

This week’s job listings feature over 160 openings. South African waste management and recycling firm WastePlan leads recruitment with 23 positions, focusing on converting industrial waste into biogas. Meanwhile, Pay-as-you-Go innovator M-Kopa is hiring for 10 roles in Nigeria, eight in sales, and four marketing roles in Kenya.

  • The market has long been dominated by technical and, more recently, sales roles, but this week, marketing and communications positions are emerging, with Engie and M-KOPA hiring in this area.

  • With specialisms such as wheeling gaining traction, demand for roles supporting these developments is also rising. South Africa is seeking a project managers to oversee wheeling projects.

  • Access the full list of opportunities here…(2 min)

Infinity Power, Hassan Allam Utilities, and Egyptian authorities sign PPAs for 1,200 MW solar and 720 MWh storage projects (Source: Infinity Power)

Events

🗓️ Register for the Africa Energy Expo 2025 (Nov 25)

🗓️ Be at the ESG, Impact Investing & Sustainable Finance Summit (Nov 27)

🗓️ Join peers at the Renewable Energy Forum Africa (REFA) 2025 (Dec 3)

Various

🌊 Egypt takes steps to upgrade its hydropower network

⚡️ Davis & Shirtliff launches solar hybrid solution for off-grid areas

🔋 Three companies sign a 300 MW solar and 800 MWh battery project in Zambia

🔌 Bboxx partners with Rwanda to distribute 50,000 clean cooking kits

Seen on LinkedIn 

Norman Moyo, Co-Founder & CEO at Grid Africa, says, “We’re facing nearly 18 hours of load shedding, and generators cannot sustain a viable telecoms ecosystem. The challenge is urgent. We need a minimum viable power solution for telcos.”