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At Enlit Africa 2026, utility leaders from across the continent gathered to confront one of Africa’s most pressing questions: how do utilities deliver reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity while economies continue to grow?
Among the executives sharing their perspectives was Cletus Nyachowe, Chief Executive Officer of ZESA Group, who outlined Zimbabwe’s progress in stabilising its electricity sector, the reforms driving improved utility performance, and the investment priorities needed to achieve universal access.
Speaking during the Utility CEO Forum, Nyachowe painted a picture of a power sector that has made measurable progress while remaining firmly focused on the work still ahead.
Zimbabwe’s electricity supply is built on a diversified generation portfolio. Thermal generation remains the backbone of the country’s energy system, accounting for just over half of total generation through the Hwange Power Station.
The country also relies on hydropower from the Kariba Dam, jointly managed with Zambia.
While renewable energy, particularly utility-scale and independent solar projects, is becoming an increasingly important part of the energy mix, Nyachowe says Zimbabwe has significant installed generation capacity and that operational realities present ongoing constraints.
Nyachowe highlighted that available generation can reach approximately 1,800 MW, but actual output depends heavily on factors such as the age of generating equipment and annual water allocations from the Zambezi River Authority for Kariba Dam.
This illustrates a challenge familiar across Africa, that installed capacity does not always translate into available generation.
One of Zimbabwe’s notable achievements has been its ability to maintain system stability.
According to Nyachowe, the country has recently managed to meet electricity demand without widespread load shedding by carefully balancing domestic generation with strategic electricity trading through the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) day-ahead market.
Yet he was quick to caution against complacency.
Nyachowe remarked that as the economy grows, electricity demand will continue to increase. Meeting future demand will require substantial investment, not only in new generation capacity, but also in strengthening transmission and distribution infrastructure while expanding electricity access.
His observations reinforced a recurring theme throughout the Utility CEO Forum that today’s operational stability must be matched by long-term infrastructure investment.
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One of Zimbabwe’s strongest success stories has been the policy environment supporting the utility sector.
Nyachowe highlighted the government’s commitment to creating a commercially sustainable electricity industry, pointing to the approval of a cost-reflective tariff by the regulator in late 2023 as a major milestone.
Combined with an aggressive rollout of smart metering for large customers and universal prepaid metering for smaller consumers, these reforms have significantly improved revenue collection.
Improved cash flow, he explained, enables ZESA to reinvest in critical infrastructure upgrades rather than simply maintaining existing operations.
Financial sustainability remains one of the essential foundations for infrastructure expansion across Africa’s power sector.
Reflecting on discussions with fellow utility CEOs during Enlit Africa 2026, Nyachowe observed that many utilities are confronting remarkably similar challenges.
These include:
One emerging trend attracting considerable attention is greater participation by the private sector.
Nyachowe noted that concession-based transmission models where private investors finance, build and operate transmission infrastructure before transferring ownership back to utilities are increasingly being explored as governments seek innovative ways to unlock investment.
Zimbabwe currently has an electricity access rate of approximately 52%, leaving significant work to connect households in both urban and rural communities.
The country’s ambition is bold: achieve universal electricity access by 2030.
Nyachowe acknowledged that reaching this target will require dramatically accelerating current implementation efforts and mobilising substantially more investment capital.
New partnerships with the private sector are expected to play an important role, particularly in expanding urban connections while supporting rural electrification programmes.
Asked what he would prioritise if he were “President of Africa for a day,” Nyachowe’s answer reflected the collaborative spirit that defined many conversations during Enlit Africa.
His priorities would be to strengthen regional electricity trade, retain greater economic value within Africa, encourage value addition to the continent’s mineral resources, and localise the manufacturing of critical equipment used across the electricity value chain.
It is a vision that aligns closely with Africa’s broader ambitions around industrialisation, energy security and regional integration.
Nyachowe’s message at Enlit Africa 2026 was one of cautious optimism. Zimbabwe’s experience demonstrates that consistent policy reform, stronger utility finances and strategic infrastructure investment can deliver tangible improvements in electricity reliability.
At the same time, the journey toward universal access and long-term energy security will require deeper regional cooperation, innovative financing models and stronger partnerships between governments, utilities and the private sector.
As leaders across Africa work to modernise their power systems, Zimbabwe’s evolving story offers an important reminder that resilient utilities are built not only through new generation capacity, but through sound policy, financial sustainability, regional collaboration and an unwavering commitment to expanding access for all.
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