Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo has called for stronger public-private partnerships (PPPs) and deeper regional integration to accelerate renewable energy expansion across the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Ryan Chigoche
His remarks come at a time when power demand from productive sectors such as mining continues to intensify across the region.
The mining sector, one of Zimbabwe’s largest electricity consumers, relies heavily on stable and affordable power for underground mining, mineral processing, and beneficiation.
As mineral output expands across gold, platinum, and lithium operations, energy security has increasingly become central to sustaining production and driving value addition.
Against this backdrop, Minister Moyo, officially welcoming delegates to the second SADC Sustainable Energy Week in Victoria Falls on Monday, said collective regional action was critical to addressing energy security gaps and unlocking economic growth.
“As a region, we are grappling with the issue of renewable energy expansion, and as a country, we strongly believe in regional integration and the role that both the public and the private sector play in all of it,” said Minister Moyo.
Building on the need for collaboration, he underscored the importance of regulatory alignment across member states, arguing that harmonised systems would strengthen investor confidence and position SADC as a competitive and secure energy investment destination.
“Realising also the importance of regulation, we need to strengthen our regulatory systems through synchronising laws, tariffs, and the application of the system. This will strengthen us as SADC and will make us a regional bloc, as we are superintended by the Southern African Power Pool. A strengthened bloc is easily identifiable as a safe hub for local and international investments and opportunities.”
His remarks resonate strongly with mining and industrial players who continue to cite power reliability as a key determinant of expansion plans. Increased mineral production and beneficiation require both dependable baseload supply and accelerated renewable integration.
In that context, Minister Moyo urged delegates to use the week-long platform not merely for dialogue, but to forge practical partnerships capable of unlocking bankable and scalable energy projects across the region.
Held under the theme Driving Regional Economic Growth through Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency, the high-level gathering seeks to fast-track the transition to sustainable energy systems while reinforcing industrialisation and regional trade.
The programme features plenary sessions, bilateral engagements, and field visits designed to catalyse regional economic growth through coordinated energy initiatives.
During the ministerial segment, Zimbabwe is set to present its Energy Compact alongside other regional ministers. Minister Moyo described the compact as the country’s energy sector blueprint aligned with Vision 2030 and the drive towards attaining upper middle-income status.
Even as the region pushes renewables, he acknowledged that conventional power sources will remain part of the energy mix.
“Our actions and plans as a region must recognise these energy sources, as well as energy efficiency efforts,” he said, adding that efficient energy use across industry and mining is essential to maximise the benefits from available resources.
The event is being hosted by Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Energy and Power Development in partnership with the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE), reinforcing regional cooperation on clean energy deployment.
As proceedings conclude later this week, Zimbabwe will hand over the hosting baton to Eswatini, represented by Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, His Royal Highness Prince Lonkhokhela Dlamini, with delegates also expected to tour selected sustainable energy sites in Victoria Falls.
