Off-grid solar energy company, Sun King has announced a sweeping new commitment to accelerate Africa’s clean energy transition.
Speaking at the Global Citizen NOW: Johannesburg 2025 event, the company pledged to deploy more than 50 million new solar kits across the continent between 2026 and 2030 — a rollout valued at over $5.6 billion.
The ambitious initiative is expected to expand clean energy access to 200 million people, while adding 3.8 GW of distributed solar capacity directly to households, schools, health facilities, and small businesses.
The planned contribution represents two-thirds of the Mission 300 goal, a World Bank and African Development Bank initiative targeting electricity access for 300 million people by 2030, and nearly one-third of the global SDG7 target.
The announcement comes as global leaders converge in Johannesburg for the historic first G20 summit hosted on African soil, where South Africa has placed climate finance and energy access at the top of its agenda.
“Off-grid solar is already scaling at unprecedented speed,” said T. Patrick Walsh, CEO and Co-Founder of Sun King. “We grew from 10,000 kits a month in 2017 to more than 330,000 kits a month today.”
By 2030, we expect to exceed one million kits every month, bringing clean, affordable electricity to hundreds of millions of people faster than ever before.
Scaling Distributed Solar Across Africa
Operating in 11 African countries, Sun King designs, engineers, and distributes solar kits tailored for households and enterprises.
Its product suite ranges from entry-level lighting and phone-charging units to multi-kilowatt inverter systems capable of powering modern homes, schools, and businesses.
The company already reaches 50 million people globally, with internal surveys showing that 67% of users previously had no electricity access, relying instead on candles, kerosene, and wood fires.
Sun King’s rapid growth is anchored in its pay-as-you-go (PAYGo) financing model, which allows customers to acquire solar systems through micro-loans repaid over 12 to 24 months. Payments start at $0.19 per day via mobile money. To date, Sun King has extended $1.4 billion in solar financing across Africa, significantly lowering the cost barrier to clean energy.
Under its expanded roadmap, the company will:
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Deliver clean electricity to 200 million people
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Add 3.8 GW of new solar generation capacity
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Power 50 million homes, schools, health centres, and businesses
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Increase its total products delivered from 30 million to 80 million
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Create more than 45,000 jobs, doubling its workforce to 90,000
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Open 1,200 new retail stores, growing to a network of over 1,650 outlets
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Scale up to producing 1 million solar kits per month by 2030
“Some 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity,” noted Dr. Wale Aboyade, Vice President, Public Policy and Government Affairs at Sun King. “Off-grid solar remains the fastest and most affordable solution — delivering energy, creating jobs, and driving economic growth. Achieving greater scale will require deeper partnership with governments and investors.”
Expansion Strategy and Future Outlook
To fulfil its commitment, Sun King plans to deepen its footprint in existing markets while expanding to new regions with high demand for energy access.
The company will continue to invest in next-generation solar technologies and broaden consumer financing channels to ensure affordability.
A key pillar of the strategy involves strengthening collaboration with investors, governments, and development partners to channel more capital into Africa’s green transition.
As the continent faces increasing pressure to close its energy gap and shift toward cleaner power systems, Sun King’s multibillion-dollar commitment positions it as a critical player in shaping Africa’s distributed solar future.
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