Harare / Addis Ababa / Kampala — Eastern and Southern Africa have taken a significant step toward deeper regional electricity market integration following the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Independent Regulatory Board (IRB) of the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) and the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).
Signed on February 20, 2026, in Harare, Zimbabwe, the agreement formalizes institutional cooperation between the two regional power bodies and lays the groundwork for expanded cross-border electricity trade between Eastern and Southern Africa.
The MoU was signed by Eng. Ziria Tibalwa Waako, Acting Director General of the IRB, and Eng. Stephen Dihwa, Executive Director of SAPP. It establishes a structured framework for collaboration in regulatory harmonization, market monitoring, infrastructure coordination, and joint oversight of regional electricity trading.
Driving Reliable and Affordable Power
The partnership is expected to accelerate efforts to deliver more reliable, affordable, and accessible electricity across both regions. By aligning regulatory standards and market rules, the two power pools aim to reduce trade barriers, improve system stability, and enhance investor confidence in regional energy markets.
Cross-border power trade is increasingly seen as critical to addressing Africa’s energy deficit. Regional integration allows countries with surplus generation to export power to deficit markets, optimizing infrastructure investments while strengthening energy security.
Officials say the agreement signals a shared commitment to unlocking the economic benefits of interconnected electricity markets, including reduced generation costs, improved grid resilience, and expanded renewable energy integration.
Peer Learning from a Mature Market
The signing ceremony marked the culmination of a week-long study tour by the IRB delegation to SAPP, held from 16–20 February 2026 in Harare. The engagement focused on peer learning and benchmarking under a broader initiative to develop harmonized guidelines for regulating cross-border power trade, market monitoring procedures, access rules, and a sanctions framework.
The mission, supported by GET. Transform, brought together 25 delegates, including Dr. John Watua, representing the IRB Chairperson; Eng. James Wahogo, Secretary General of the EAPP; and development partners such as GET.Transform, the African Union Commission, and the African Development Bank.
SAPP, established in 1995 at a Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit, is widely regarded as one of Africa’s most advanced regional electricity markets. It comprises 12 member countries, nine of which are interconnected, with full interconnection anticipated in the near future.
The interconnected SAPP region has an installed capacity of approximately 80 gigawatts (GW), with operating capacity of about 48 GW against a reported peak demand of roughly 50 GW. Serving nearly 390 million people, the region records an average electricity access rate of about 50 percent.
Strengthening Regional Oversight
The IRB serves as the regulatory and oversight arm of the EAPP, which was established in 2005 and now includes 13 member states. Headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the EAPP promotes regional cooperation through interconnected transmission infrastructure and the facilitation of cross-border electricity trade.
Energy analysts note that regulatory alignment between the two power pools could prove pivotal as Africa accelerates efforts toward continental power market integration under the African Union’s Agenda 2063 framework.
The IRB–SAPP partnership underscores a shared ambition to advance integrated African power markets, strengthen energy security, and accelerate progress toward universal electricity access.
As regional grids become more interconnected and regulatory frameworks more harmonized, Eastern and Southern Africa may be positioning themselves at the forefront of Africa’s evolving energy transition.