WASHINGTON, July 23, 2026—Zambia and Malawi are set to strengthen energy security and expand regional power trade through new cross-border electricity transmission infrastructure that will support business growth, improve productivity, and boost more and better jobs by providing more reliable and affordable electricity.
The World Bank’s $43 million International Development Association (IDA) Grant will support the Zambia-Malawi Interconnector Project to construct approximately 47 km of transmission infrastructure in Zambia as part of the broader 192 km, 400 kV Malawi–Zambia Interconnector corridor.
For both countries, the interconnector will expand access to regional electricity markets, diversify supply sources, and strengthen resilience to climate shocks, while opening a new corridor for clean energy trade across the region. The project is aligned with the National Energy Compacts of both Zambia and Malawi under Mission 300—a joint initiative of the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank to expand electricity access to 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.
- The 2024 energy crisis underscored the urgent need to reduce Zambia’s reliance on hydropower. The Zambia–Malawi Interconnector is a strategic investment in the country’s energy security and long-term sector sustainability—helping build a stronger, more diversified power system that can drive growth and create jobs.Martine ValcinWorld Bank Group Country Manager for Zambia.
Sub-Saharan Africa holds some of the world’s most substantial energy endowments. Yet a deep structural imbalance persists, where generation surpluses are concentrated in a few countries while the rest face generation capacity shortfalls and low electricity access rates. Cross-border energy trade helps address these constraints by enabling countries to access regional power supplies, access more cost-effective generation, diversify their energy mix, and reach larger markets for export.
“Expanding access to reliable, affordable electricity across Southern Africa requires countries to work together. The region’s energy challenge is too large and too interconnected to be solved in isolation. By strengthening cross-border transmission and enabling clean energy trade, this project is an important step towards a more connected and resilient power system that Southern Africa’s economies and people need,” said Yadviga Semikolenova, World Bank Energy Practice Manager for Eastern and Southern Africa.
This project is part of the World Bank Group’s Regional Energy Transmission, Trade and Decarbonization in Southern Africa Multi-Phase Programmatic Approach (RETRADE-SA MPA) Program, which supports grid connectivity and enabling environment development for expanded electricity trade across the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) region.
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