Story by Yolanda Moyo
ELECTRICITY access in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has reached a weighted regional average of 56%, placing it ahead of the East African Community (39%) and ECOWAS (53%), the bloc’s Executive Secretary, Elias Magosi, has said.
Addressing delegates at the 2026 SADC Sustainable Energy Week in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Mr Magosi said the milestone reflected “strong political commitment to advancing energy access, security and sustainability across the Region”, but cautioned that persistent gaps remain despite the progress.
Mauritius and Seychelles have achieved universal access, he noted, while across Africa 30 of 55 countries have completed National Energy Compacts. Within SADC, the number of Member States finalising such compacts has risen sharply from four in January 2025 to eleven of sixteen by January 2026, representing 69%.
“Energy security and universal access remain fundamental enablers of regional integration, industrialisation and sustainable economic growth,” Mr Magosi said. “Through our shared commitment as SADC, we will continue to pursue universal access, energy security, deeper regional integration and the industrialisation and development our region deserves.”
The SADC Sustainable Energy Week (SEW), established in May 2024 in Angola by the Joint Committee of Ministers responsible for Energy and Water, is now in its second edition. Botswana hosted the inaugural event in 2025, while Zimbabwe is hosting this year’s gathering under the theme: “Driving Regional Economic Growth Through Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency.” Eswatini will be hosting in 2027.
Mr Magosi expressed appreciation to the Government of Zimbabwe for hosting the event in collaboration with the SADC Secretariat and the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE), as well as to Ministers, private sector partners and sponsors.
The regional installed generation capacity currently stands at 83,055 MW, including 1,548 MW from SADC’s Oceanic Member States; Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles. However, the region continues to experience power shortages linked to limited transmission infrastructure and the intensifying effects of climate change.
Coal remains dominant, accounting for 59% of electricity generation, largely from Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, while hydropower contributes 24%. Lower-carbon sources, solar, wind and natural gas have increased from 3% to 12% over the past decade.
“The climate-related droughts of 2024–2025, which lowered river levels and reduced hydropower output, exposed our region’s vulnerability,” Mr Magosi said. “As we cannot predict the frequency or impact of such events, diversifying our energy mix is imperative.”
He said the region must explore a broad range of technologies, including cleaner coal technologies, gas-to-power options, the peaceful use of nuclear energy where feasible and compliant with international standards, green hydrogen and virtual power plants supported by rooftop solar. At the same time, he stressed that “the most affordable and sustainable energy is the energy we save,” urging intensified energy efficiency measures across all sectors.
On infrastructure, Mr Magosi reported progress on key regional interconnectors. The Malawi–Mozambique interconnector is nearing completion and is scheduled for commissioning by June 2026. The Tanzania–Zambia interconnector, backed by World Bank financing on the Zambian side, is expected to be completed by 2028. Efforts to connect Angola to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) network through Namibia have reached the financial structuring stage.
Once operational, these projects are expected to strengthen regional electricity trade, ease congestion and facilitate power evacuation from major schemes including Grand Inga in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mpanda Nkuwa in Mozambique and the Baynes Hydropower Project between Namibia and Angola.
Mr Magosi also confirmed that all SADC Member States have now established national energy regulators, with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Comoros the most recent additions, a development he described as “a major step in strengthening regulatory governance and investor confidence.”
However, significant financing challenges remain. The SADC Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP) Short Term Action Plan (2023–2027) identifies an energy financing gap of US$18 billion. Mr Magosi called on Member States and partners to support priority projects and operationalise the SADC Regional Development Fund to mobilise resources.
“To address structural challenges including low access, energy poverty, reliance on coal and hydropower, and limited efficiency, the Secretariat, with UNECA, is developing a Framework on Just Energy Transition for submission to Ministers,” he said, adding that reviews of the Regional Power Generation and Transmission Master Plan, REEESAP and REASAP are under way.
Concluding, Mr Magosi said the Sustainable Energy Week must move beyond dialogue. “By measuring progress and holding ourselves accountable, we can ensure that our collective efforts deliver lasting improvements in energy access and security across the Region.”
