Many countries in Africa experience power outages of seven to eight hours per day, and some mining sites in Africa pay tens of thousands of dollars in electricity bills each month.

"Power shortage" is the first impression mentioned by several Chinese companies investing in Africa. And data reveals the severity of the issue more visually. According to World Bank statistics, Africa accounts for over 80% of the global population without electricity, with around 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa alone without power. These people have to rely on firewood and charcoal for cooking and heating, and on expensive and polluting generators for basic lighting. The huge electricity gap has made Africa a focus of global power investment, with an increasing number of Chinese investors turning their attention to this continent. However, as more players accelerate their entry, the market landscape is changing. Some interviewees told reporters that competition in the solar power market in some African countries has started to become intense this year.