South Africa is in talks with the governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe regarding the proposal of routing an electricity transmission line from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through their territories to South Africa.
South Africa’s Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, said the transmission line will connect South Africa to DRC’s Grand Inga Hydropower Project.
The project, expected to deliver 42,000MW of electricity, will provide South Africa with an estimated 2,500MW of electricity, bolstering its energy capacity and contributing to its long-term power stability.
In a recent session with Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Portfolio Committee on Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Minister Mantashe addressed concerns about South Africa’s involvement in the Grand Inga Project and the progress of electricity supply negotiations.
“In the plan for Grand Inga, there is a plan for a transmission line to go through two countries to South Africa, so it is possible.
“In our discussions, we have explored the possibility of involving Zimbabwe and Zambia, as the transmission line will cross their territory. So, it is possible to get electricity from Grand Inga.”, Minister Mantashe said.
The proposed electricity transmission line from the DRC will pass through Zimbabwe and Zambia, making these two countries essential partners in the project.
The Grand Inga Hydropower Project is one of the world’s most significant hydropower developments. Situated on the Congo River in the DRC, the project aims to generate an enormous amount of electricity.
South Africa, Africa’s most industrialised nation and an important energy consumer in the Southern African region, is particularly interested in importing electricity from the Inga 3 station, the first planned hydropower plant in the Grand Inga series.
The country aims to secure a reliable and sustainable electricity supply from the Grand Inga Hydropower Project, which is crucial for addressing South Africa’s energy crisis which has necessitated power cuts across the nation.
Minister Mantashe said discussions are still underway, noting that the transmission line’s construction would be crucial for ensuring that the electricity generated by the Grand Inga plants could reach South Africa and the surrounding region.
When completed, DRC will be the latest country to export electricity to South Africa after Mozambique, which made over $431 million in power exports to South Africa and Zambia in 2024.
