Zimbabwe’s Energy and Power Development Minister, July Moyo, is set to deliver a keynote address at the Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025 Forum in Paris, as the country steps up efforts to attract private capital to its struggling energy sector.
The IAE 2025, scheduled for May 13 to 14, 2025 is an exclusive platform connecting African energy markets with global investors, offering intensive engagement between policymakers, project developers, and financiers.
According to a press statement distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital and Power on May 7, 2025, Zimbabwe’s energy minister will deliver a keynote address at the event in Paris next month, highlighting national energy priorities and emerging investment opportunities.
“His participation marks a strategic moment for Zimbabwe as the country positions its energy sector for a new wave of private sector-led growth,” said the press statement.
“Minister Moyo’s participation follows Zimbabwe’s recent international efforts to attract investment into its energy sector, including high-level engagements aimed at outlining a clear roadmap for modernisation and highlighting the essential role of private capital in addressing infrastructure deficits.”
The minister’s attendance comes at a critical time for Zimbabwe, where households and industries alike are grappling with persistent power outages.
Communities across the country are spending much of their days without electricity, while farms and factories are struggling to stay operational under erratic power supply.
ZESA Holdings, the national power utility, has blamed a combination of ageing infrastructure and environmental challenges for the crisis.
Recently, a technical fault at Hwange Power Station further reduced available power supplies.
“The unforeseen incident has necessitated increased load shedding across all customer groups,” ZESA said in a statement, without clarifying whether the fault occurred in the older thermal units or the newer Chinese-built generators.
On Saturday, the country was producing a combined 1 454 megawatts, with 979 MW from Hwange, 400 MW from Kariba, and 75 MW from independent producers, against a peak demand of about 2,000 MW, leaving a critical shortfall that results in daily blackouts lasting up to eight hours.
Climate change has worsened the situation, with poor rainfall affecting water levels in the Kariba Dam, thereby reducing Zimbabwe’s hydroelectric capacity.
Against this backdrop, Minister Moyo is expected to use his keynote at IAE 2025 to court investors for both short-term and long-term solutions.
“With a large portion of the population still lacking access to electricity and power demand continuing to outpace supply, Zimbabwe is actively seeking strategic partnerships to deliver more reliable, sustainable and diversified energy solutions,” the APO statement said.
The government is pursuing a dual-track strategy, which is stabilising supply by reviving coal-fired plants like Hwange, while ramping up investment in renewable energy.
Large-scale solar and wind projects are central to Zimbabwe’s long-term energy strategy, with ambitions to export surplus power to neighboring countries.
In partnership with Zambia, Zimbabwe is exploring the development of floating solar farms on Lake Kariba, supported by a $250 million loan facility from the African Export-Import Bank.
The project aims to deliver 250 MW by mid-2026, marking a shift toward climate-resilient infrastructure.
Minister Moyo is expected to highlight investment-ready projects in generation, transmission, and off-grid electrification, alongside reforms designed to attract independent power producers and foreign capital.
However, commenting on this move, ZCP General Secretary Ngqabutho Nicholas Mabhena said such participation should signal Zimbabwe’s commitment to reshaping its energy future but said results come from reforms and implementation of those reforms.
“ As the country battles energy insecurity, the Paris forum could provide a lifeline, that is if investors are convinced and see that Zimbabwe is serious about reform and ready to do business,” he said.