African imports of solar panels from China are increasing rapidly, driven largely by South Africa, according to data released by Ember, which tracks Chinese customs data. Chinese exports account for about 80% of the global solar panel market. In the first 7 months of 2023, South Africa imported panels equivalent to 3.7GW, up from 0.6GW in the same period last year. South Africa was the 20th largest solar power producer in the world in 2021 – and the largest producer in Africa. It generated 6.65 terawatt hours (TWh), compared with world No 1 China’s 327TWh that year.