Zimbabwe Key to Regional Power Trade and Transmission: Gvt

By Kudzaishe Chimonera

Zimbabwe remains a critical player in Southern Africa’s electricity market and transmission network with the Government pledging to strengthen the country’s power infrastructure to support regional energy integration and trade, Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo has said.

Speaking on the importance of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), Moyo said the regional electricity market has become a key platform for cooperation among Southern African countries since its establishment three decades ago.

“We started this Southern African Power Pool in 1995 and our presidents agreed that we need to strengthen the power pool as a marketing tool as a trading tool, and it needs strengthening,” Moyo said.

The Southern African Power Pool was established by member states to promote collaboration in electricity generation, transmission and trading, allowing countries to share power resources and improve energy security across the region.

According to Moyo, the SAPP has emerged as the most advanced of Africa’s five regional power pools, with electricity networks now interconnected across 13 countries.

He said the extensive interconnection has enabled member states to trade electricity more efficiently while supporting efforts to address power shortages affecting parts of the region.

Moyo highlighted Zimbabwe’s strategic importance within the regional electricity system, noting that the country hosts the Southern African Power Pool’s electricity market and serves as a vital transmission corridor linking countries in the northern and southern parts of the network.

“Zimbabwe, which is hosting the Southern African Power Pool, plays two major roles. First, this is where the market takes place and secondly this is where the transmission lines that intercede between the south of the power pool and the north of the power pool run through Zimbabwe,” he said.

The minister said Zimbabwe’s central geographical location places added responsibility on the country to ensure that its transmission infrastructure remains robust and capable of supporting growing regional electricity demand.

He stressed the need for continued investment in both domestic and cross-border transmission systems to facilitate the smooth movement of electricity throughout Southern Africa.

“And therefore there is a need for Zimbabwe to strengthen its transmission line internally as well as its transmission lines inter-regional,” Moyo said.

The remarks come as countries across Southern Africa intensify efforts to expand electricity generation capacity, modernise transmission networks and increase regional power trading to address recurring energy shortages.

Energy experts view regional integration as a key strategy for improving electricity reliability, reducing costs and enabling countries with surplus generation capacity to supply power to those experiencing deficits.

For Zimbabwe, strengthening its transmission network is expected to not only improve domestic electricity supply but also reinforce its position as a strategic energy hub within the Southern African region.

Government officials say enhanced regional cooperation through the Southern African Power Pool will be crucial in supporting economic growth, industrial development and energy security across the region in the years ahead.