Sun King Targets Clean Energy for 200 Million People by 2030
Sun King, the world’s largest off-grid solar energy company, has announced a record-breaking commitment to deploy over 50 million new solar kits across Africa between 2026 and 2030.
The announcement was made on stage at Global Citizen NOW: Johannesburg 2025, coinciding with the gathering of global leaders for the first G20 summit on African soil. The pledge amounts to over $5.6 billion in solar equipment, a move set to expand clean energy access to 200 million people.
This massive scaling of operations will add 3.8 GW (3,800 MW) of new solar capacity to the continent—comparable to the output of three coal power stations, but delivered through decentralized, green technology directly to households and businesses.
Sun King’s roadmap is designed to directly support “Mission 300,” the joint initiative by the World Bank and the African Development Bank to bring electricity to 300 million people by 2030.
To put the scale of this commitment into context: the 200 million people Sun King intends to serve represents two-thirds of the entire Mission 300 target and one-third of the UN’s SDG7 goal for universal energy access.
“Off-grid solar is already scaling at unprecedented speed. Sun King grew from 10,000 kits a month in 2017 to over 330,000 kits a month today,” said T. Patrick Walsh, CEO and Co-Founder of Sun King.
“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.”
Operating in 11 African countries, Sun King utilizes a Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) financing model to lower entry barriers. Customers pay as little as $0.19 a day via mobile money for entry-level kits, repaying the loan over 12 to 24 months. To date, the company has extended $1.4 billion in solar financing to underserved communities.
Of the company’s existing customer base, 67% report having had no prior access to electricity, previously relying on kerosene, candles, or wood fires.
Beyond energy access, the expansion plan promises significant economic ripple effects. Sun King plans to create more than 45,000 new long-term jobs, swelling its workforce to nearly 90,000 people.
The company will also aggressively expand its physical footprint, opening 1,200 additional retail stores to create a network of over 1,650 outlets across the continent.
“600 million Africans still live without the power they need. Off-grid solar is the fastest, most affordable solution, creating jobs and driving growth,” said Dr. Wale Aboyade, Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs at Sun King. “We’ve reached 50 million people thanks to strong government and investor support, and scaling further will require even closer partnership.”
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