ZIZABONA western corridor turns eighteen with 422km still unbuilt across four countries

The line was designed to relieve a central corridor running through Zimbabwe that carries most of Southern Africa’s traded power. Initiated in 2008 and targeting an initial 300MW transfer, it remains at consultancy stage while the congestion it was meant to solve has grown.

The ZIZABONA interconnector would build 422 kilometres of transmission across Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia, creating a western corridor through the Southern African Power Pool. It was initiated in 2008.

The engineering is settled. The route runs 101 kilometres from Hwange in Zimbabwe to the border and 14 kilometres on to Mukuni near Livingstone, 76 kilometres from Victoria Falls to Pandamatenga in Botswana, and 231 kilometres from Mukuni to Zambezi in Namibia. Lines are specified at 400kV with initial operation at 330kV, targeting an opening transfer of 300MW.

The problem it addresses has not gone away. Most traded power in the region moves through a central corridor crossing Zimbabwe, and the western route exists to decongest it. Every megawatt added to SAPP trade since 2008 has passed through the same constraint.

Progress has been in advisory work. The Southern African Power Pool appointed the German engineering consultancy Fichtner for transaction and technical advisory services, the Swedish firm SWECO for the environmental and social impact assessment on the Zambian leg, and PhD Capital of South Africa for project coordination and supervision, with the African Development Bank funding the consultants. Assessments have been completed in Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

The volume looking for a route has grown throughout. Zambia’s national consumption rose 48 per cent between 2024 and 2025 on Energy Regulation Board figures. Zimbabwe is targeting 1,365MW of new generation. The Zambia-Tanzania line will shortly connect SAPP to the Eastern Africa Power Pool, adding a further market at the far end of the same network.

Four national approvals, four regulatory positions on wheeling tariffs and one financing structure acceptable to all of them are still outstanding. The switching station at Mukuni has not been built.