DAR ES SALAAM: AS Africa continues to grapple with one of the world’s biggest energy gaps, the continent faces a defining challenge: how to expand electricity access fast enough to support economic growth while also building a cleaner and more resilient energy future.
According to international energy estimates, hundreds of millions of people across Africa still lack reliable access to electricity, while rapid urbanization, industrial expansion and population growth continue to push energy demand higher each year.
Against this backdrop, governments, investors and private energy developers are increasingly turning toward large-scale renewable energy projects as a practical pathway to improve energy security, attract investment and accelerate industrial transformation.
It is within this context that the Africa Energy Forum (AEF) 2026 in Cape Town became a major platform for investment announcements and strategic partnerships aimed at reshaping Africa’s energy landscape.
Among the key announcements made during the forum was a major milestone by Infinity Power, which revealed a series of strategic agreements designed to accelerate the delivery of utility-scale renewable energy projects across South Africa and Egypt, further strengthening its position as one of Africa’s leading renewable energy developers.
The agreements, signed with globally recognized engineering and technology partners, represent an important transition from project development into implementation. They also reinforce Infinity Power’s long-term ambition of reaching 10 GW of operational renewable energy capacity by 2032.
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The company has significantly expanded its project portfolio in recent years. Between 2024 and 2025 alone, Infinity Power added new developments across Egypt, South Africa and Côte d’Ivoire, bringing an additional 2.56 GW of solar capacity, 200 MW of wind energy and 720 MWh of battery storage solutions into its committed pipeline.
Among these developments are 1.28 GW of solar photovoltaic projects in South Africa under Bid Window 7, 1.2 GW of solar PV and battery energy storage projects in Egypt’s Aswan and Minya regions, the 200 MW Ras Ghareb wind farm in Egypt, and 80 MW of solar developments under the Scaling Solar initiative in Côte d’Ivoire. Speaking during the announcement, Infinity Power the Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Nayer Fouad, said the agreements demonstrate the company’s commitment to moving projects beyond planning stages and into execution.
“The signings announced at the Africa Energy Forum reflect Infinity Power’s continued focus on turning a strong development pipeline into projects that are ready for execution. By partnering with leading global technology and engineering companies, we are strengthening our ability to deliver large-scale renewable energy projects efficiently and at pace across key African markets,” he said.
He added that, “The agreements not only strengthen Infinity Power’s presence in South Africa and Egypt but also demonstrate the critical role of collaboration in accelerating Africa’s transition toward clean and reliable energy systems,” He highlighted that, at a time when many African countries continue to experience electricity shortages, rising energy demand and pressure to industrialise, investments of this scale have the potential to create long-term transformation across multiple sectors.
“One of the most immediate benefits is improved access to electricity. Reliable power remains one of Africa’s biggest development challenges, limiting industrial productivity, business growth and access to essential services,”
Fouad briefed He concluded, “Large-scale renewable energy projects such as those being advanced by Infinity Power can help expand electricity generation capacity and reduce pressure on existing national grids, enabling more households and businesses to gain access to dependable energy,”
To his part the Chief Technical Officer of Infinity Power he said that, these signings mark an important step in advancing the technical execution of our growing project portfolio across Africa.
“By working with globally recognized technology providers and EPC partners, we are ensuring that our projects are designed and delivered in accordance with the highest standards of efficiency, reliability and performance,” He added that, “One of the major agreements announced was the conditional Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract award to Sterling and Wilson for the Highveld Solar PV Project in South Africa, which has a planned capacity of 285.6 MWp,”
“The project forms part of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) Bid Window 7 portfolio awarded to Infinity Power and is expected to generate electricity sufficient to power approximately 167,000 homes, while avoiding an estimated 660,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually and creating employment opportunities during construction,” he elaborated .
He briefed, “These investments also support economic growth by attracting capital and creating employment opportunities. Renewable energy infrastructure requires engineers, technicians, construction workers, suppliers and service providers, generating both direct and indirect jobs,”
“During construction and operation phases, local communities can benefit from increased economic activity, skills development and stronger local supply chains,” he verified “Another major benefit is improved energy security. Many African economies remain heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels, making them vulnerable to global fuel price volatility and supply disruptions,” he stamped.
He said, expanding domestic renewable energy generation allows countries to diversify their energy mix and strengthen long-term energy independence while reducing operational costs over time.
“The agreements also contribute to environmental sustainability and climate goals. Solar and wind projects produce electricity with significantly lower carbon emissions compared to conventional fossil fuel generation,” he mentioned He advised, As African nations seek to balance development priorities with climate commitments, renewable energy offers an opportunity to pursue economic expansion while limiting environmental impact. In addition, partnerships between African energy developers and international engineering and technology firms encourage technology transfer and knowledge sharing.
Such collaboration strengthens local technical capabilities and helps build a more competitive energy sector capable of delivering increasingly complex infrastructure projects in the future. General Manager of PCG International Company Mu Xiaoqing, said the project demonstrates continued confidence in South Africa’s renewable energy market.
“By leveraging our global expertise in utility-scale renewable energy projects, we aim to deliver a reliable, efficient and sustainable power generation asset that contributes meaningfully to South Africa’s energy security, decarbonization objectives and socioeconomic development,” he said Xiaoqing mentioned that, “In Egypt, Infinity Power formally recognized the earlier signing of a Letter of Award with AIKO Energy in collaboration with project partner Hassan Allam Utilities Energy for the supply of photovoltaic modules to the Nefer Minya 1.2 GWp Solar Project,”
“The development is expected to generate enough clean electricity to power approximately 1.4 million homes while avoiding nearly 1.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year,” he indicated “The MENA region remains one of the world’s most dynamic clean energy frontiers. This cooperation opens the door for joint development of future photovoltaic and energy storage projects while supporting expanding renewable energy pipelines across the region,” he concluded.