• Mozambique electricity project will generate 1,500 MW, boosting access and exports.
• Off-grid solar remains critical for rural and remote areas.
The Mozambique electricity project has become a symbol of transformation, with the nation committing $6 billion to the Mphanda Nkuwa hydroelectric plant. This landmark project, the largest in southern Africa for 50 years, demonstrates Mozambique’s ambition to connect all 33 million citizens to power by 2030.
Significantly, electricity access in Mozambique has improved rapidly. Access nearly doubled from 31% in 2018 to 60% in 2024. The state supplier, Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), connected 563,000 homes in 2024 and now targets 600,000 more this year. Consequently, communities that were once isolated are steadily gaining opportunities.
World Bank President Ajay Banga visited Mozambique in July and praised these electrification projects. He highlighted entrepreneurs such as Hermínio Guambe, once a barber without power. Today, Guambe uses electric dryers while his village pharmacy safely stores refrigerated medicines. “Electricity isn’t just light, it’s a chance,” Banga emphasised, underlining electricity’s economic and social impact.
Meanwhile, the new plant will sit downstream of Cahora Bassa on the Zambezi. When completed in 2031, it will generate 1,500 megawatts, easing a regional deficit of 10,000 megawatts. Moreover, Mozambique could export power to neighbours like South Africa and Zimbabwe, strengthening its role in regional trade.
However, challenges remain pressing. Hydropower in Africa is vastly underused, with nearly 90% of its potential untapped. Furthermore, Mozambique struggles to extend the national grid across remote areas. As a result, off-grid solar projects remain critical to ensuring wider rural access.
Concerns about finance also linger. Mozambique’s public debt reached $17 billion in early 2025, raising doubts about affordability. Energy consultant Evaristo Cumbane urged investment in smaller, local projects alongside mega-dams, citing abundant rivers, wind, and sunshine.
Nevertheless, Mozambique sees this electricity project as a cornerstone of sustainable growth. For citizens like Guambe, power already means change, turning daily struggles into opportunities for prosperity.