Dar to join regional power grid by February
ZANZIBAR: TANZANIA and Zambia are expected to join the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) regional electricity grid by February 2027, strengthening power trading and energy cooperation between East and Southern Africa.
Speaking at the closing of the three-day 67th SAPP Management Committee meeting in Zanzibar, Deputy Minister for Water, Energy and Minerals Seif Kombo Pandu said Tanzania’s side of the interconnection project was 90 per cent complete and was being implemented at 400 kilovolts (kV).
He said completion of the project would link SAPP with the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP), enabling electricity trading between the two regional power pools and advancing efforts to establish a single electricity market across Africa.
Mr Pandu said nine of the 12 Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states were already interconnected to the regional grid, while Angola, Malawi and Tanzania were expected to complete their interconnections.
Despite the progress, he said the region continued to face challenges, including inadequate power generation, weak infrastructure, electricity losses and differences in market structures and licensing regimes.
However, Mr Pandu said electricity prices in the SADC market had declined to an average of less than 10 US cents per kilowatthour, from more than 17 US cents at the beginning of 2026.
SADC member states should continue strengthening regional electricity trading to ensure reliable and affordable access to energy,” he said.
SAPP Management Committee Chairman Endrew Etzinger said energy security was fundamental to economic growth and the improvement of public services.
He said SAPP had agreed to strengthen cooperation with EAPP and continue interconnecting additional countries, including Malawi and Angola, to create a broader and more resilient regional energy system.
Speaking on behalf of the TANESCO Managing Director, TANESCO Deputy Executive Director for Electricity Transmission, Engineer Zakaria Mgalama, said cooperation among SAPP member states was critical to ensuring reliable electricity supply and strengthening regional energy security.
He explained that the power pool enabled interconnected countries to buy or sell electricity according to their needs.
“When one country has surplus power, it can sell it to another facing a shortage, helping to maintain a stable electricity supply while strengthening regional energy security,” he said.
Eng Mgalama said Tanzania stood to benefit significantly from its SAPP membership and participation in wider energy cooperation initiatives in East Africa.
