Zimbabwe’s Minister of Energy and Power Development, July Moyo, has underscored the indispensable role of baseload power in Africa’s pursuit of industrial transformation, cautioning that the continent’s industrial ambitions cannot rest solely on renewable energy. Speaking at the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies 2025 in Cape Town, Moyo emphasised that Africa faces a delicate balancing act between advancing its renewable energy commitments and maintaining the firm electricity backbone essential for industrial growth.
Moyo noted that while renewable technologies such as solar and wind have gained traction across Africa, they remain insufficient in sustaining energy-intensive industries including steel, mining, and manufacturing. “Renewables must be complementary, not replacements,” he said, highlighting that reliable baseload power continues to underpin industrial competitiveness and economic resilience.
Zimbabwe’s energy landscape mirrors this broader continental challenge. The nation has endured prolonged electricity shortages due to hydropower disruptions at the Kariba Dam caused by recurring droughts, and recurrent mechanical challenges at the Hwange Thermal Power Station, its primary coal-fired plant. These setbacks have compelled Zimbabwe to import electricity from Mozambique, Zambia, and South Africa—straining its foreign currency reserves and exposing structural vulnerabilities in its energy security.
The recent introduction of the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency has complicated external energy payments, as regional power suppliers demand settlement in hard currency. In response, the government has accelerated licensing for independent power producers (IPPs), particularly in solar generation, to diversify supply. Several projects in Mashonaland, Matabeleland, and Manicaland are expected to contribute additional capacity to the grid in the medium term.
Despite these efforts, Moyo emphasised that the country’s heavy industries require continuous, high-load electricity that intermittent renewables currently cannot provide. “Africa cannot industrialise in darkness,” he declared, reaffirming the government’s position that baseload stability must remain central to Zimbabwe’s energy strategy.
Zimbabwe’s developmental agenda is anchored in revitalising its mining and manufacturing sectors, and in promoting beneficiation across key commodities such as lithium, platinum, and steel. Persistent power shortages, however, have hampered productivity and deterred investment, with industries often resorting to costly diesel generators. Energy analysts argue that a dependable electricity base is fundamental to unlocking sustainable growth and improving export competitiveness.
The Hwange expansion project, which adds 600 megawatts to the grid, is central to the government’s strategy. At the regional level, Zimbabwe continues to leverage the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) to enhance supply stability through cross-border energy integration, though neighbouring states face similar capacity constraints.
Moyo’s remarks reflect a growing consensus among African policymakers that while renewable energy remains vital for the continent’s green transition, it must evolve alongside firm capacity investments that guarantee energy reliability. The challenge, he suggested, is not whether Africa should pursue renewables, but how to do so without undermining the foundations of industrial progress.
His address in Cape Town underscores a distinctly African perspective on the global energy discourse—one that situates sustainability within the broader context of human development, economic sovereignty, and industrial resilience. For Zimbabwe and much of the continent, the path forward lies in energy diversity that marries green ambition with pragmatic stability.
