In 2023, low-carbon sources supplied more than half of Zimbabwe’s electricity consumption, at about 55%. Hydropower dominated this clean electricity supply, accounting for roughly 53% of total consumption, while biofuels contributed about 1%. Fossil electricity, entirely from coal in the supplied data, accounted for around 26%. Net imports supplied the remaining 19%, although the data does not identify whether that imported electricity came from low-carbon or fossil sources.

Is Electricity Growing in Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe’s electricity consumption per person remains well below its historical peak, a worrying gap as electrification and new industries increase the need for electricity. Consumption in 2023 was about 625 kWh per person, compared with roughly 1,100 kWh in 1987—a decline of around 480 kWh, or 43%. Low-carbon electricity generation was also below its record: about 343 kWh per person in 2023, against 568 kWh in 1980, a drop of 225 kWh, or roughly 40%. These comparisons show that Zimbabwe has not regained its earlier per-person highs; they do not, on their own, establish whether consumption grew in the latest year.

Suggestions

Zimbabwe can expand clean electricity generation by prioritizing solar alongside its existing hydropower and considering a nuclear development programme. Nearby Namibia, where solar supplies 11% of electricity generation, offers a regionally relevant example, while Chile and Pakistan each demonstrate that solar can reach almost a quarter of generation. Zimbabwe could support both large solar projects and rooftop systems through clearer procurement, grid investment and workforce training. Wind development could draw lessons from Kenya, where it supplies 12% of generation. For nuclear, Pakistan’s 13% share offers another useful example, while France’s roughly two-thirds share illustrates nuclear’s potential to supply substantial amounts of low-carbon electricity. Building the institutions, skills and regional partnerships needed for nuclear would support this longer-term opportunity. Together, solar, wind and nuclear could help expand electricity access while reducing reliance on coal and its climate and air-pollution impacts.

History

Zimbabwe’s recorded low-carbon electricity history is dominated by fluctuations in hydropower. In the 1980s, generation fell by about half a TWh in both 1982 and 1987, before rising by 0.7 TWh in 1989 and another 1 TWh in 1990. The early 1990s brought substantial setbacks, with declines of roughly 1.2 TWh in 1991 and 1.1 TWh in 1993, followed by a 1 TWh recovery in 1999. Growth resumed in the early 2000s, including gains of 0.8 TWh in 2002 and 1.5 TWh in 2003, followed by smaller reversals and recoveries. The 2010s were particularly uneven: a steep 2 TWh decline in 2016 was followed by gains of around 1 TWh in each of 2017 and 2018, then a 0.9 TWh fall in 2019. A strong 2.1 TWh increase in 2021 was encouraging, but the 0.4 TWh decline in 2023 underscores the importance of sustained expansion and a broader clean electricity supply.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade