This thesis investigated the socio-technical and institutional factors that affecting the development of solar PV value chain in two case studies, China and SADC. The study for China is aimed for providing a lesson learned from the best practice in building and dominating solar PV value chain in the world. Moreover, the study in SADC is to understanding the region’s current progress, to propose strategic recommendations in building the regional PV value chain.

Findings show that China’s rise in the global PV industry was shaped by three interlinked strategies: (1) strong government orchestration and long-term planning, (2) capturing the entire value chain step by step, and (3) infrastructure-driven industrialization supported by diversified financing and technology transfer. In contrast, SADC’s PV development remains fragmented. The TIS assessment revealed uneven performance across upstream, midstream, and downstream segments, with most activity concentrated in downstream deployment through auctions and rural electrification. These programs, while reliant on imported components, demonstrate that demand creation can stimulate market growth and
eventually feed back into manufacturing opportunities.

Comparing both cases, the research identifies several lessons for SADC:
• Proactive but flexible orchestration at the regional level is needed to balance diverse national interests.
• Building local capabilities should start with segments that have lower entry barriers (e.g., module assembly, balance-of-system components).
• A stronger and more diversified domestic financial ecosystem is required to reduce dependence on donor funding.
• Integrated infrastructure and logistics are essential to reduce costs and improve competitiveness.
• Rural electrification can serve as an anchor market, driving consistent demand in the downstream segment and supporting upstream and midstream growth.

From these insights, the thesis proposes that SADC’s strategic interventions should involve aligning regional institutions as active orchestrators, encouraging country-level institutions (especially South Africa, DRC, and Zambia) to push higher-tech manufacturing, and leveraging international institutions and FDI not only for capital but also for knowledge transfer and long-term capacity building .

Theoretical contribution lies in the introduction of a multilayer analytical framework that integrates TIS functions, PV design factors, and regional integration theory. This approach highlights how institutional dynamics and socio-technical drivers interact in shaping regional value chains. It adds nuance to the literature on regional industrialization in the Global South by linking demand creation, institutional orchestration, and capability building.

This thesis highly reliance on desk research with limited interviews, constrained access to region-wide data, and exclusion of sustainability aspects such as recycling and labor rights. Those served as a limitation for this thesis. The recommendations are preliminary and require feasibility studies at the country level to assess economic, social, and environmental viability .

In short, the study argues that SADC can transition from a fragmented, import-reliant solar PV market toward a competitive regional value chain by strategically leveraging its mineral resources, fostering coordinated regional action, and adapting lessons from China’s developmental model.