"Powering Africa: China’s Expanding Role in the Continent’s Energy Future" China Global South Project, 26 September 2025

[...] This report examines Chinese-backed energy projects in Africa from 2020 to 2024, highlighting the scale, strategies, and implications of this partnership for Africa’s sustainable development goals.

Key Insights:

• Strategic Engagement: From 2020 to 2024, Chinese investments totaling over USD 33 billion have delivered over 32 gigawatts (GW) of power generation capacity across 30 African countries. [...].
• Renewable Energy and Regional Focus: [...] concentration in Southern Africa (35 projects), followed by West Africa (22), East Africa (16), Central Africa (6), and North Africa (5). Renewable energy dominates the portfolio, with hydropower and solar leading the mix, complemented by gas, wind, coal, geothermal, biomass, and wave energy. [...]
• Investment Models and Implementation: [...] flexible financing structures, including hybrid models combining Chinese and international capital. [...].
• Challenges and Opportunities: [...] several projects face delays or dormancy due to technical, financial, or political challenges. [...].

These insights provide valuable guidance for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders involved in Africa’s energy sector development, particularly as the continent works towards achieving universal electricity access and sustainable development goals.