Zambia’s electricity exports have risen by approximately 16% year-on-year, according to official data released for February 2026. This increase comes despite the country’s ongoing reliance on electricity imports to meet domestic demand.
Official reports have also revealed that Zambia is currently importing around 511 MW of electricity to supplement domestic generation.
According to a statement delivered last year in February 2025, Energy Minister Chikote, had revealed that ZESCO had significantly reduced its power exports, scaling them back from previous levels of around 520MW to 150MW as of February, 2025
However, in a recent data made available to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Energy Minister Makozo Chikote has confirmed that current electricity exports have surged to 175 megawatts (MW), up from 150 MW reported in February 2025.
He noted that the country’s installed generation capacity stands at 3,880 MW, with ZESCO Limited contributing 3,168 MW and independent power producers supplying 712 MW.
He, however, said that due to hydrological and operational constraints, only 1,635 MW is presently available from domestic generation.
Chikote explained that to bridge the supply gap, Zambia has turned to imports, bringing the total available supply to 1,971 MW, against a national demand of approximately 2,400 MW.
He added that “due to prevailing hydrological and operational constraints, available domestic generation presently stands at 1,635 mw. This deficit is being supplemented by 511 mw of electricity imports, bringing total available supply to 1,971 mw, against a current national demand of approximately 2,400 mw.”
