80% Of Rural Zimbabwe Has Never Known Electricity

Energy and Power Development Minister Zhemu Soda said it is embarrassing that only 20% and 40% of the country’s rural and urban areas have respectively been electrified.

Speaking in Harare on Thursday at an event where the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) availed US$1.5 million for Zimbabwe’s power generation, Soda said:

According to recent statistics, the country has an electricity penetration rate of 44%.

As a government, we are not proud of this figure considering that we have a large number of people, particularly in rural areas who lack access to modern energy services.

In fact, I am informed that electricity access levels in rural areas is 20% with the balance available to urbanites.

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Although we have seen increased penetration of small ports solar systems, which l hope will be revealed in the census currently underway.

UNDP Zimbabwe resident representative Mia Seppo said that the US$1.5 million will be fully allocated before the end of this year. Said Sepo:

UNDP Zimbabwe is excited to have managed to mobilise a total of US$$1,5 million grant aimed at accelerating access to sustainable, affordable and clean energy in Zimbabwe.

This grant is earmarked to kick start and unlock further funding for the energy sector.

We are expected to fully allocate and utilise the funding before the end of the year 2022 to create an enabling environment for future investments.

Zimbabwe generates an average of 1 200 megawatts (MW) daily against a peak demand of 2 200MW and reduces the deficit with imports from South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique.

More: NewsDay