The three-day Zimbabwe–Zambia Energy Projects Summit (ZimZam 2025), which opened this Wednesday, at the Radisson Blu Mosi-Oa-Tunya Livingstone Resort, has called for deeper regional investment and collaboration to accelerate energy cooperation and strengthen private-sector participation in Southern Africa’s energy transition.
Hosted under the theme “Mines and Energy: How Stakeholders Have Fast-Tracked Private Sector Projects to Become Africa’s Top Investment Destination,” the summit reaffirmed high-level political commitment to energy market reforms, public–private partnerships, and the expansion of modern generation and transmission infrastructure.
In their opening remarks, the MP and Provincial Minister of Southern Province (Zambia) Credo Nanjuwa (who was representing Zambia’s Minister of Energy Honourable Makozo Chikote) and Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of Energy and Power Development, Honourable Yeukai Simbanegavi, stressed the need for coordinated national strategies to advance regional integration, enhance investment readiness, and stimulate growth in mining, renewable energy and cross-border power trading.
Minister Nanjuwa called on delegates to ensure the summit delivers tangible outcomes.
“Your presence affirms the importance of this summit as a regional platform for investment, innovation and strategic collaboration, and a true reflection of our shared vision of securing a sustainable energy future for Zambia and Zimbabwe,” he said.
“This summit must never become a talk show. Let us use this platform to unlock deals, secure financing and build the energy systems that will power our mining sectors, our economies and our future.”
Deputy Minister, Simbanegavi also underscored the growing importance of cross-border collaboration and highlighted Zimbabwe’s ongoing energy-sector reforms.
“Energy challenges have reminded us that we have veins which knit us together beyond our border lines, and that collaboration is key to overcoming our collective challenges,” she said.
“As Zimbabwe transitions to NDS2, more private-sector investments are expected in the electricity sector, supported by reforms that simplify project development and enhance the ease of doing business.”
Industry leaders also echoed the call for stronger cooperation. Petrodex Deputy CEO Monie Captan said regional power trading would become “the next major catalyst for economic growth,” while Helen Lubamba, the Head of Corporate and Investment Banking at Stanbic Bank Zambia, highlighted the need for flexible financing models to unlock both public and private capital.
The summit opened with support from the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and headline backing from Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) as Country Host, Petrodex as Summit Sponsor, and ZESCO and Standard Bank as sponsors, thus laying a solid foundation for investment mobilisation and cross-border partnerships.
With strong participation from key regional energy players, the summit set a decisive tone for discussions in the coming days, focusing on financing the SADC Just Energy Transition Framework, scaling up renewable energy capacity, and strengthening regional power interconnections.
