Southern Africa:
Improving the Investment Climate

The Energy Sector

The countries of the Southern Africa Development Community are working to facilitate the energy (and other) infrastructure needed to enable the region to achieve regional integration, economic growth and poverty eradication. As of now, the countries face limited access to electricity and a lack of private investment, which presents a significant obstacle to further growth. Independent power producers are expected to play a critical roles in the region to increase access, spur regional power trade and interconnection, and drive a cleaner generation mix.

Our Work

Supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources, Power Sector Program, NARUC is working with the Regional Electricity Regulators Association of Southern Africa (RERA) and regulators in Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia to improve the market and investment climate in the region. The work is part of a larger U.S. Government-funded initiative to support of the implementation of the Market and Investment Framework for SADC Power Projects, which provides a set of legal and regulatory policy recommendations to promote investment in energy sector projects in the SADC region and proposes a market structure for efficient cross-border trade.