India, Sept. 3 -- Africa is undergoing a major solar boom that far exceeds official statistics, according to Ember and the African Tech Futures Lab.

Using Chinese panel export data, they estimate 17 GW of new capacity in 2026, after 12 GW in 2025. Around three-quarters of recent additions are small, distributed systems that often go unreported, leaving international agencies and many governments badly underestimating Africa's clean-energy surge.

Africa is experiencing a rapid expansion of solar power, but much of the growth remains missing from official statistics.

A new analysis by energy think tank Ember and the African Tech Futures Lab finds that the continent's solar boom is being driven increasingly by distributed solar systems in...