Eswatini’s ambitions to become a major player in regional energy generation took a decisive step this week, with government confirming that three new power plants will be launched this December.
This forms part of the country’s strategy to be self-sufficient in energy generation over the coming years.
The announcement was made by Prince Lonkhokhela, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, during a high-level bilateral engagement with South Africa’s Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, at Summerfield Botanical Garden. The meeting centred on deepening Eswatini-South Africa energy cooperation and fast-tracking projects that support regional power stability.
Prince Lonkhokhela revealed that government is currently engaging 18 prospective power producers, with some already in advanced stages of development, while there are three plants scheduled for commissioning in December.
“We are talking with 18 companies wishing to produce and supply electricity. Yet, still we are launching 3 new plants this December,” the Minister said.
He emphasised that the Kingdom’s energy roadmap is aligned with the SADC Protocol on Energy, which encourages collaboration and cross-border trade in electricity. This means Eswatini’s generation strategy is not limited to domestic needs.
“We have private companies interested in generating power specifically for export to RSA. We request that discussions continue also on these projects,” the Prince added.
Beyond infrastructure development, the meeting underscored the importance of skills transfer. The Minister said Eswatini intends to learn from South Africa’s experience with mega-projects such as Medupi and Kusile, not only technologically, but also in project management, engineering capacity, and oversight.
“May our two nations also cooperate in the areas of capacity building and skills transfer as our engineers, project managers and business analysts who will be involved in the expansion programme would certainly learn a lot from the teams that have delivered the Medupi and Kusile power plants in recent times,” he said.
In his response, Dr Ramokgopa reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to working closely with Eswatini, calling the partnership a “community of equals” rather than a delegation-to-delegation engagement.
“An industrialised region is possible if we consistently invest in electricity and other critical infrastructure,” he said. “We are delighted to see Eswatini taking a major step in its generation capacity. A thriving Eswatini contributes to a thriving South Africa and the region.”