Solar
Solar refers to energy technologies that harness sunlight to generate electricity or heat, forming a cornerstone of the global renewable energy transition. The two principal technologies are photovoltaic (PV) systems, which convert sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductor materials, and concentrated solar power (CSP), which uses mirrors or lenses to focus sunlight to produce heat for electricity generation. Solar PV has experienced rapid cost reductions and deployment growth over the past two decades, becoming one of the cheapest sources of new electricity generation in many markets. Utility-scale solar farms, rooftop installations and off-grid systems are deployed across residential, commercial and industrial applications. Solar energy is abundant, emissions-free during operation and increasingly competitive with fossil fuels, making it central to decarbonisation strategies and climate change mitigation. The technology requires critical minerals including silicon, silver, copper and increasingly cadmium, tellurium and indium for advanced thin-film panels. Africa has exceptional solar resources, particularly in the Sahel, southern Africa and East Africa, though deployment has lagged other regions due to financing, grid infrastructure and policy challenges. Solar complements wind power in diversified renewable energy portfolios and is often paired with battery storage to address intermittency. The sector is supported by policy mechanisms including feed-in tariffs, auctions and tax incentives, and is reshaping electricity markets, energy access and industrial competitiveness worldwide.
Solar Updates
Political settlements and the just transition
By: Saliem Fakir 19th June 2026 Political settlements theory helps us understand the drivers of systemic change, holding that the ambition of elites who control a country’s... →
Grid expansion, management critical as South Africa’s electricity sector decentralises 
By: Sabrina Jardim 12th June 2026 Improved cost efficiencies, shifts in legislation and policy enablers towards an open market continue to support South Africa’s investment in... →
Shifting from fossil fuels will fail without funding for African industry and energy infrastructure
26th May 2026 Moving to renewable energy will fail unless wealthy nations help finance cleaner energy systems, industrialisation and local mineral processing... →
Of wars, fossil fuel and the clean energy revolution
By: Saliem Fakir 17th April 2026 The situation in the Gulf has moved from epic fury to epic crisis. Wars reveal, with great clarity, the shape of the world when something is no... →
KwaZulu-Natal mineral sands mine powered by new Limpopo solar
By: Martin Creamer 9th April 2026 The first megawatt-hours of green electricity have been successfully fed into South Africa’s national grid by a newly commissioned solar farm in... →
Cape Town seeks 500 MW from energy traders at below-Eskom rates
By: Irma Venter 1st April 2026 The City of Cape Town has issued an energy trader tender that targets the procurement of 500 MW through power purchase agreements (PPAs), spanning... →
Disconnect between power generation, delivery growing – report
By: Sabrina Jardim 27th March 2026 While State-owned Eskom on March 13 said it had achieved more than 300 consecutive days without needing to implement loadshedding, a milestone... →
Electric vehicles could soon be cheaper than petrol cars in Africa – if financing barriers fall
16th March 2026 The cost of electric vehicles (EVs) has long looked like a barrier to adoption in Africa. But falling battery costs, surging global EV production... →
South Africa’s power utility Eskom tried to block a gold mine from going solar – but lost in court
9th March 2026 South Africa’s national energy policy says: build more renewable power facilities and build them fast. But getting the players in the energy space... →
Solar power for Marula and Rustenburg platinum mines being sought by Implats
By: Martin Creamer 5th March 2026 Platinum group metals (PGM) mining company Implats is looking at solar for the Marula PGM mine and also the Impala Rustenburg operation, the... →
