Self-generation gains ground in Africa’s key energy markets

October 23, 2025

Dear subscriber,

This seems like a good week to be in rooftop solar. Moves by the Kenyan and South African governments should benefit the roofers, even if they are not the intended beneficiaries. See our first two stories.

– Sammy Jamar, Editor

Kenyans could soon pay more for fuel and electricity as the government moves to establish a Consolidated Energy Fund (CEF) to finance new energy projects and reduce reliance on loans. The move could add to the costs already borne by consumers, potentially lowering grid consumption and encouraging more households and businesses to self-generate.

  • The energy and agriculture sectors are key priorities, with the president noting that Kenya’s current power generation is far below industrialisation needs. His government estimates a need for at least 10,000 MW to drive growth.

  • Kenya is following the path of Ethiopia and Tanzania, which relied on internal funds to build major energy projects and avoided piling up more debts. However, there may be other costs to pay, including grid flight by consumers.

  • Our take: Energy companies can expect to see increased demand on and off grid… Read more (2 min)

It now costs at least R9,000 ($520) less to install rooftop solar in South Africa after utility Eskom simplified its compliance process. Certified electricians can now approve installations, in addition to professional engineers, reducing costs and delays. The changes come amid a push from households for faster and more affordable ways to adopt solar power.

  • The cost reduction comes on top of an existing waiver on registration and connection fees for households with solar systems up to 50 kVA that runs until March 2026.

  • Together, these measures are expected to make rooftop solar more accessible in South Africa, driving further adoption in a market that has already seen rapid growth.

  • Our take: Training and certification for registered electricians will expand… Read more (2 min)

New job adverts in the sector surpass 150 this week. Solar firm Sun King is at the forefront of recruitment, offering 15 positions across West and East Africa. The company is particularly seeking talent with Pay-As-You-Go expertise, focusing on Nigeria and Benin to support its customer base. It recently announced plans to localise production in Nigeria.

  • The off-grid solar scene is buzzing. Stalwart d.light has five job openings, South Africa’s Zutari is looking for five professionals, and Kenya’s SunCulture has two roles available. M-KOPA has five open positions.

  • Utility renewables developer Scatec appears to be ramping up recruitment, with ten positions open. Two of these roles focus on Operations & Maintenance (O&M), one of the in-demand skills in this week’s job listing.

  • The jobs can be accessed here … (2 min)

AMEA Power announces the installation of the first PV module at its Slar + BESS plant in the Benban area of Aswan, Egypt

Events

📆 Attend the Power Energy Ghana Expo 2025 (Oct 30)

📆 Take part in the C&I Energy + Storage Summit Johannesburg 2025 (Nov 4)

📆 Sign up for the Youth in Energy Transition event (Nov 7)

📆 Be in Africa Investment Exchange: Power & Renewables 2025 (Nov 17)

Various 

🌀 Two SA energy companies unite for 720MW wind power project

💰 EU invests $231 million to boost Nigeria’s renewable energy efforts

🟢 DRC targets $500 million in grants to support minigrids, solar home systems

⚡ African Union seeks closer ties with Turkish firms in minerals and renewables

Seen on LinkedIn 

Josh Dorfman, Co-Founder, CEO at Supercool, says, "A billion solar panels were installed globally last year. Many billions more must be installed to reach a net-zero future. The challenge: there are not enough new raw inputs to reach those targets.”