What’s rising from the Trumpian ashes

Investors have much to embrace in Africa's climate space, despite what they say

March 19, 2026

Welcome to Green Rising – The mindsets of green-economy leaders in Africa are in a funny place. Two years ago was the high water mark. "Climate" was on everyone's lips. Then a new US president came along a year ago and seemingly spoilt the party. 

Except he didn't. Lots of individuals lost jobs; various bits of funding were cut; some markets such as carbon and hydrogen have struggled, though only partly due to Trump. More rigorous thinking may be the bigger culprit. Hot air has evaporated. 

But at the same time, where there is real strength in green industrialisation, businesses have grown. If we had known two or three years ago where we are now, we would have celebrated. That's worth remembering. This week we focus on what's working and attracting funding (without denying the challenges).

Africa could soon make half of its solar hardware  

Whenever there is a global crisis, the fossil fuel supply is often among the first to be hit. This usually brings wider economic consequences. But a subtle shift in energy security is now taking shape in Africa, with local solar manufacturing emerging as the next investment frontier as countries look to reduce dependence on imported fuels.

  • If all announced and under-construction projects are completed, Africa could reach more than 31 GW of solar manufacturing capacity per year. Around 10.5 GW is already operational, although most facilities are currently operating below capacity.

  • For a continent that until recently produced almost none of the panels it installed, this represents a profound shift. It will strengthen the continent’s energy security and reduce its exposure to supply disruptions.

  • Our take: Manufacturing is likely to concentrate in a limited number of regional hubs rather than spreading widely across the continent… Read more (2 min)

Egyptian electric vehicle charging powerhouse Infinity plans to enter South Africa, Morocco and Tunisia but — hold your breath — it is also looking to expand beyond Africa. It recently opened its first charging station in Jordan and plans to enter the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The company plans to spend $9.5 million this year to build 120 new charging stations.

  • Infinity currently has about 250 charging stations comprising approximately 850 charging points in Egypt and aims to reach about 370 stations with a total of 1,100 charging points by the end of 2026. 

  • Africa’s EV market is growing fast but is still tiny in global terms. Nonetheless fast-growing African firms like Infinity, Shift EV and Pixii Motors are jumping on global market opportunities, especially in Europe and the Middle East.  

  • Our take: African EV firms are beginning to position themselves as regional technology exporters, not just local startups… Read more (2 min)

As Africa advances its circular economy ambitions, Davinah Milenge Uwella of the Africa Circular Economy Facility (ACEF) says the continent’s transition is gaining momentum, with opportunities across five priority sectors. She notes, however, that realising this potential will require addressing financing, standards and capacity constraints.

  • Ms Uwella is the Chief Programme Coordinator within the African Development Bank’s Climate Change and Green Growth Department and Task Manager of ACEF, the Bank’s dedicated multi-donor trust fund for promoting a circular economy. The Facility operates as a catalytic instrument to create the conditions for the circular economy transition in Africa.

  • “The question is no longer whether circular solutions are viable in Africa. The real question is how quickly the enabling conditions can be strengthened to capture the opportunity at scale,” she says.

  • Find the full conversation here (2 min)

Number of the week

… of Africa's health facilities relied on paper records during COVID-19, siloing data and delaying pharma responses. WHO's new Preparedness Data Exchange (PDX) platform integrates climate, surveillance, lab, and workforce data on a continental scale. 

Network corner

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👉 Nigeria’s Sosai Renewable Energies bags the Sankalp ClimateTech category award for expanding clean energy access.

Top green jobs from…

EVENTS UPDATE 

📆 Sign Up for the Solar & Storage Conference in South Africa (March 25)

📆 Attend the Commercial & Industrial Conference in Kenya (April 1)

📆 Register for the Women’s Sustainability Conference in Nigeria (April 27)

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