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Purpose The global transition towards zero energy buildings (ZEBs) has emerged as a transformative strategy to enhance energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable urbanisation. While significant progress has been achieved in developed economies, the African continent, which is home to the fastest-growing population yet among the lowest electricity access rates, remains underexplored in this transition. Despite abundant renewable energy potential, Africa continues to face severe energy poverty, underscoring the critical yet underutilised role of ZEBs. This study aims to systematically review the adoption of ZEBs in Africa by identifying the key barriers, enabling factors and socio-technical dynamics, while proposing a contextualised framework to support its adoption. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology of peer-reviewed publications from ScienceDirect, Scopus and Google Scholar on the adoption of ZEBs in Africa. The review synthesises existing literature to develop a contextual understanding of the interactions between climatic advantages, institutional capacity and socio-economic constraints in shaping the feasibility of ZEBs in Africa. Findings The findings reveal that while technological and policy gaps persist, opportunities exist through climate-responsive designs, decentralised renewable energy systems and capacity-building initiatives. Moreover, the findings suggest that future research should expand beyond residential building typologies and individual buildings to include institutional, commercial and mixed-use buildings to expedite the adoption of ZEBs across the continent. Research limitations/implications Future research should expand beyond residential building typologies and individual buildings to include institutional, commercial and mixed-use buildings to expedite the adoption of ZEBs across the continent. Practical implications The review synthesises existing knowledge to offer a comprehensive ZEB adoption framework for policymakers, researchers and practitioners in Africa, aimed at expediting ZEB implementation while addressing energy security and climate resilience. Originality/value This review offers the first synthesis of ZEB-related studies conducted in Africa across the continent. It provides a thorough framework for policymakers, academics and practitioners to expedite ZEB implementation, enhance energy security, and promote climate resilience in the area by using current information.
Asante et al. (Fri,) studied this question.