Energy leaders meeting in Zambia this week warned that Southern Africa risks missing out on a surge in global demand for critical minerals unless countries move faster to expand regional electricity transmission networks.
At the opening of the 66th Management Committee meeting of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), Padmore Muleya, board Chairperson of Kanona Power Company Limited, said the region already has vast energy potential including solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and emerging gas resources but much of it remains unevenly distributed.
He called for stronger cross border power connections to allow electricity to flow more efficiently across national boundaries.
“Some systems have surplus potential while others face persistent deficits,” Mr. Muleya said. “The power pool exists precisely to bridge this imbalance.”
Mr. Muleya said accelerating regional transmission projects would allow electricity from surplus systems to reach countries experiencing shortages, helping to support industrial expansion across Southern Africa. Demand for electricity is rising, particularly in mining heavy economies such as Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zimbabwe.
He said improving the region’s electricity grid is becoming increasingly urgent as global demand grows for critical minerals such as copper, cobalt, nickel, and manganese resources abundant across Southern Africa but heavily dependent on reliable energy supply.
“The next phase of the SAPP must ensure electricity moves across borders as efficiently as capital and commodities already do,” Mr. Muleya said.
The meeting was officially opened by Zambia’s Minister of Energy, Makozo Chikote, whose remarks were delivered by Permanent Secretary for Electricity Arnold Simwaba.
Mr. Chikote urged delegates to prioritize the optimization of regional transmission systems to ensure reliable and affordable power reaches both industry and households across the region.
“As government, we challenge SAPP to embrace off-grid solutions that are grid-ready to allow seamless integration into national grids in the future,” the minister said in remarks delivered on his behalf.
He also said the Zambian government is working with regional partners to develop a harmonized framework covering taxes, duties, and levies to make cross-border electricity trade easier.
The government is additionally supporting efforts to give the power pool a formal role in issuing certificates of origin for electricity, an initiative aimed at strengthening transparency and efficiency in regional power markets.
The meeting, hosted in Zambia by ZESCO Limited with support from Kanona and other industry partners, from 8-13 March, has drawn about 350 participants from 12 countries in the Southern African Development Community.
Officials said the discussions focused on improving electricity trading mechanisms and accelerating infrastructure projects that could reshape the region’s energy landscape.
