Zambia’s Power Gap Stems From Years of Stagnant Investment, Says Siliya
Former Information Minister Dora Siliya says Zambia is facing a genuine electricity shortage caused by years of limited investment and rapid growth in national demand. She explained that the situation reflects a structural supply gap, not planned load management.
Dr Siliya linked the present deficit to long-term trends in the energy sector. She noted that Zambia’s electricity consumption per person peaked in the late 1980s before declining due to economic pressures. According to her, the country has not seen major improvements in per-capita consumption since then, despite a population that has more than doubled.
She stated that Zambia’s population has continued to grow at a steady pace while investment in new generation capacity has remained slow. She referenced recent ZESCO figures indicating that more than 200 megawatts have been added to residential connections since 2021, a development she said reflects how quickly household demand has expanded. She noted that daily consumption is now shaped by widespread use of phones, computers, entertainment devices and modern appliances that require power throughout the day.
Dr Siliya pointed to the country’s economic structure as another source of pressure. She said agriculture, mining, manufacturing and the service sector all depend on stable power supply, and that most businesses operate for longer hours than in the past. She added that many small enterprises run entirely on mobile devices or digital platforms, creating overlap between household and commercial electricity needs.
She explained that the traditional distinction between peak and off-peak hours has weakened because usage patterns have changed across the country. In her view, the grid now carries heavy demand for most of the day, leaving little room for surplus power or strategic reductions in consumption.
Dr Siliya encouraged households to maintain mixed-supply systems such as solar, inverters and generators, saying alternative sources have become a practical requirement. She said many consumers adopted these systems late because they expected national supply to keep up, but the rapid expansion in both population and economic activity changed the demand picture far faster than anticipated.
Addressing public claims that exports are worsening the shortage, Dr Siliya said most export arrangements are either firm commitments or dependent on regional coordination that only occurs when domestic demand temporarily eases. She said the core issue lies within Zambia’s own consumption levels, not the small volumes of power shared through the regional Southern Power Pool.
She also noted that the cost of fuel affects the ability of households and small businesses to operate alternative systems. She said generators and hybrid power setups depend on affordable fuel, and that stable pricing is important for productivity, especially in sectors where backup power is essential to daily operations.
Dr Siliya urged government to provide a clear national plan showing how power generation will expand in the coming years. She called for information on future hydro and coal projects, including timelines, funding structures and the investors involved. She said citizens want to understand how the shortage will be addressed in both the medium and long term and argued that transparent communication can reduce public uncertainty.
She said Zambia needs deliberate over-capacity in electricity generation to keep pace with modern consumption and future economic growth. According to her, electricity has become one of the country’s most critical essential commodities, and sustained investment is required to prevent recurring shortages.
Dr Siliya said Zambia’s electricity challenge is rooted in population growth, rising industrial activity and new consumption patterns driven by technology. She added that long-term planning and reliable investment in new generation projects are necessary to stabilise national supply and support development.
This is a great article. Whilst the pain has been felt by everyone in Zambia including some tourists, the truth has been explained. The wanna be crybabies has turned the whole load shedding in a political vector. It’s all about blame game. The current energy issue is not even factored by draught but also imbalance between electricity supply and demand. We have to accept that lack of infrastructure development for Zed became an addition. It was sad when I started travelling around neighboring countries. The current government got a plan and steps in the right direction are being seen.
You may be right but 2026 will reveal what the masses think
2026 can go in its own way just like water finds its own level. Developmental issues have around since the 60s, and when there came a chance wrong priorities like malls. Debts has in the system since the 60s but ballooned after 2010 and utilization plus thiefity screwed everything. We are way behind and HH government is trying by all means a rational approach.
Let me tell you, in real sense thing might get to people level of dreaming by 2040. But again, the world is changing so fast. Technology is changing things swiftly.
Don’t even continue to blame UPND, unless you had been sleeping during the PF government. The economy became fictional, I knew it was coming to an end. We want a real economy pa Zed.
But didnt the current government say loadshedding will be in the past if we vote for them? So they lied? Anyway you can’t fool us twice.
Fully agree with her ,except the 2nd last paragraph.Building over-capacity power plants will involve loans which must be repaid…that’ll be consumption with negative returns.
That’s like building over capacity rental flats which end up with no tenants…its simply bonkers.
The problem with energy is that even my grand mother thinks she is an expert! Where are the energy experts that Zambia has trained over the years to give advice if decision makers are ready to listen?
You’re right on point. Zambian trained BS in Electrical Engineering. Maybe they went just for the title. I am saying because my grades at G12 were not good enough to earn me a place for degree pa Zed but I would like to hear their stories of making a difference.
Nkosavuta kukamba, madam
But why didn’t she see all these under investment gaps all when she was a minister in Edgar Lungu’s gov’t leaving us massive debts and a sickly economy? Now she’s suddenly a saint and an expert?
Mscheeewww , i feel like puking her off into the garbage truck.
Again the problem is Africans don’t know what maintenance means……..
We don’t have an equivalent word in our languages……..
That’s why every thing falls apart in Africa
Everything needs maintenance, from buildings to machinery to infrastructure.,……..
Planning for future growth should be part of maintenance cycle……….
FWD2041
Is it true there’s a xhallenger within the party ??
It is a universal truth since civilization began that the prosperity of a country is indicated by its per capita energy consumption. A person riding a mule is not richer than the one riding a sportscar. Zambia must increase power generation.
The article highlights some real issues—population growth, stagnant investment, rising demand—but it lacks:
• hard evidence,
• diverse expert opinions,
• detailed analysis of the electricity sector,
• context on regional dynamics,
• technical depth.
It reads more like a political explanatory note than an objective, well-researched energy-sector analysis.
There’s need for strong leadership to solve the POWER OR ENERGY PROBLEM not rhetoric, why not invest in nuclear energy ? Zambia is a blessed Nation.
The biggest challenge we have in Zambia is lack of maintenance and lack of planning. We have an abundance of learned people who can plan and forecast the demand levels in years to come but we never see such. Just look at the dry taps we have, we still rely on the old infrastructure that was built in the 60’s when our population was very small. Thank God citizens have resorted to boreholes to mitigate the water shortages but unfortunately there’s no quick solution to electricity shortages.
The problem lies squarely on past leadership and not on current leadership. Why am I saying this? It’s because the current leadership is doing something about it and we must support them.
There are no firm export commitments in law in the face of force majeure (act of God), this is not true. I dont agree with her on this issue, every contract no matter how flawed it may be, it will always have an exit clause
One cannot hide behind a contract they should be room for renegotiation when the maths doesn’t add up …anyway she never saved in grz hence she didnt have an opportunity to implement her suggestions …