Firm calls on Southern African Power Pool to speed up expansion of regional transmission infrastructure

Kanona Power Company Limited has urged the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) to accelerate the expansion of transmission infrastructure and strengthen cross-border interconnections to unlock regional electricity trade and support industrial growth, according to a statement issued on Friday.

Speaking at the opening of the 66th SAPP Management Committee Meeting, Kanona Board Chairperson, Padmore Muleya, said faster development of regional transmission lines was essential to move electricity from surplus systems to deficit markets across Southern Africa.

He said the region held abundant solar, hydro, geothermal and emerging gas resources, but noted that these assets remained unevenly distributed among member states, including Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zimbabwe.

“Some systems have surplus potential while others face persistent deficits. The power pool exists precisely to bridge this imbalance,” he said.

Muleya added that stronger regional interconnections would be vital to support surging electricity demand, particularly from the mining sector, and to position the region competitively as global demand for critical minerals such as copper, cobalt, nickel and manganese continues to increase.

“To meet this moment, transmission infrastructure must expand significantly and cross-border interconnections must be strengthened,” he said.

The meeting was officially opened by Zambia’s Minister of Energy Makozo Chikote, whose remarks were delivered by Arnold Simwaba, Permanent Secretary for Electricity.

Chikote urged SAPP members to prioritise optimising transmission networks to ensure that affordable electricity reached citizens across the region.

He said the government was engaging stakeholders to develop a harmonised framework for taxes, duties and levies to facilitate cross-border power trade, and reaffirmed support for establishing a formal role for SAPP in issuing Certificates of Origin to deepen regional market integration.

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