Africa Hits 11 GW of Wind Power, Eyes 50 GW by 2035

Africa just hit a major clean energy milestone that could transform how an entire continent powers its future.

The continent's wind capacity reached 11.1 gigawatts in 2025 after adding 1.53 GW of new wind farms during the year, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. That's enough clean electricity to power millions of homes without burning a single ounce of coal or gas.

South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco are leading the charge, accounting for more than 85% of Africa's installed wind capacity. But the story is spreading fast across the continent.

Companies are racing to lock in wind power deals. Mines, cement factories, and fertilizer producers are signing contracts directly with wind farms to power their operations.

The Ripple Effect

The transformation happening in Africa's energy sector runs deeper than the numbers suggest. Countries like Mauritania, Algeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Madagascar, Cameroon, and Angola now have wind projects in development, spreading clean energy opportunities across the continent.

South Africa shows what's possible when governments remove barriers. The country unlocked more than 3.3 gigawatts of corporate wind power agreements in less than 30 months simply by updating outdated regulations.

Africa has 58,400 gigawatts of technical wind potential waiting to be tapped. Right now, the continent is using just a tiny fraction of what's possible.

The Global Wind Energy Council projects Africa's wind capacity could reach between 30 and 50 gigawatts by 2035. That growth would bring reliable electricity to communities that have never had it, create thousands of jobs, and help African nations skip the pollution that came with industrialization elsewhere.

"Africa's wind story is no longer a story of potential. It is becoming a story of execution," said Juliana Kainga, Director of Africa Wind Power at GWEC. She emphasized that policy, finance, and grid infrastructure need to move faster to capture the continent's extraordinary wind resources.

With 186 gigawatts of wind projects already in the pipeline across 259 planned facilities, the momentum is building. Businesses are driving demand because wind power makes economic sense, delivering electricity costs that traditional fuels simply can't match.

A continent once left behind in the energy revolution is now writing its own clean energy future, one turbine at a time.