Chiwenga vows to open Zimbabwe's power sector

Power-sector rules are getting ripped open as Zimbabwe bets private money and regional teamwork can drag electricity access to everyone by 2030.

Energy market liberalization push

• Vice President Dr. Constantino Chiwenga announced deeper sector liberalization in Victoria Falls.
• Chiwenga represented President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the SADC Sustainable Energy Week.
• The government plans to open generation to Independent Power Producers.
• Direct power purchase agreements and private grid participation are being enabled.

Universal access and rural gap

• Vice President Dr. Constantino Chiwenga tied reforms to universal access by 2030.
• Current electricity access sits near 62 percent nationwide.
• Rural communities have just above 20 percent coverage.
• Rural electrification will prioritize schools and clinics for full coverage.

Investment and resource strategy

• Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga said reforms aim to pull in private capital.
• Zimbabwe’s coal, hydro sites, solar, and wind are central to the pitch.
• Domestic financial institutions are being courted for structured funding.
• National Development Strategy 2 and the Energy Compact anchor the policy shift.

Regional industrial ambition

• Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga urged SADC to move beyond raw-material exports.
• He questioned whether Africa remains an extraction zone or builds value chains.
• Africa holds nearly 60 percent of the top renewable resources.
• Yet the continent still struggles with persistent power shortages.

Cross-border projects and financing

• Vice President Dr. Constantino Chiwenga backed regional projects like Batoka Gorge and Inga Dam.
• Stronger interconnections are viewed as key to supply stability.
• Southern Africa faces an estimated US$83 billion annual infrastructure funding gap.
• Chiwenga pressed financiers and policymakers to align rules and scale capital.