In Africa, geothermal heating is emerging as one of the continent’s most promising but least discussed clean-energy solutions. While geothermal electricity already drives national grids in countries like Kenya, a smaller group of innovators is pushing the frontier further by using geothermal directly for heating, cooling, industrial processes, and thermal applications. These companies represent the pioneers shaping Africa’s early geothermal-heating landscape.
This ranking is based on verifiable operations, publicly documented geothermal heating or low-enthalpy geothermal activity, and the relevance of each company to direct-use geothermal development in Africa as of 2025.
— GeoTek Geothermal (Nigeria): A leading developer of geothermal heat-pump and low-enthalpy systems for buildings, greenhouses, and industrial sites, providing some of the continent’s earliest commercial geothermal heating solutions.
— Iroko Africa (Pan-Africa): Deploys shallow geothermal power-to-heat networks designed for urban heating, cooling, hospitals, and industrial clusters, positioning itself as a core player in Africa’s low-carbon thermal sector.
— Alfa Laval (South Africa): Supplies advanced heat-exchange and heat-transfer systems used in geothermal district-heating and industrial thermal applications, supporting direct-use geothermal development across the region.
— Geothermal Development Company GDC (Kenya): Although known for power generation, GDC operates geothermal direct-use projects that provide heat for greenhouses, pasteurization, drying facilities, and industrial processing in Kenya’s geothermal zones.
— Kalahari GeoEnergy Ltd (Zambia): An exploration and development company advancing geothermal resources with a focus on future direct-use applications such as heating, agro-processing, and thermal industrial systems.
More companies are entering the geothermal space, but these five stand out for their verifiable activity, contribution to early geothermal-heating deployment, and measurable role in shaping Africa’s transition to low-carbon thermal energy.
Image Credit: Scientific American
