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Renewable power made up almost half of the world’s electricity capacity last year after a record increase in solar installations, data from the International Renewable Energy Agency shared exclusively with Reuters showed on Tuesday. Global renewable capacity reached 5,149 gigawatts in 2025, up 692 GW from 2024, while the annual growth rate rose to 15.5%.
The shift matters for Africa because the continent is becoming one of the fastest-growing renewable markets even as many countries remain exposed to imported fossil fuels and volatile oil prices. The Middle East conflict has reinforced arguments in favour of energy systems that are less vulnerable to supply shocks, especially in African economies that spend heavily on fuel imports.
IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera said the crisis had shown that energy security is not guaranteed with fossil fuels. He said countries with higher renewable capacity have been better insulated from market shocks, a point that resonates in Africa, where solar and wind are increasingly seen as tools for lowering import dependence and strengthening power resilience.
Solar was the biggest contributor to global growth, adding 511 GW in 2025 to reach 2,392 GW. Total wind capacity rose by 159 GW to 1,291 GW, while renewables’ share of global electricity capacity climbed from 46.3% to 49.4%, bringing the world closer to the COP28 goal of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030.
For Africa, the global numbers fit a broader trend of faster clean-energy expansion. Recent industry data showed the continent recorded its fastest year of solar growth in 2025, led by large markets such as South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria, even as financing gaps and grid constraints continue to slow deployment in some countries.
The data also showed renewable capacity growth in 2025 rose to 15.5% from about 15.1% in 2024, still short of the 16.6% annual pace that renewable groups say is needed through 2030 to meet the tripling target. IRENA said the latest additions mean the sector is moving closer to that goal, though more investment will be needed to sustain the pace.
