The Botswana government is set to allocate approximately P2.32 billion towards power imports for the six-month period spanning October 2025 to March 31, 2026. This expenditure reflects the ongoing challenges local power generation faces in meeting the country’s escalating electricity demand. The Ministry of Finance has officially confirmed this forecasted outlay on power imports for the latter half of the 2025/2026 fiscal year.
Notably, the first half of the financial year also saw substantial spending on imported electricity. “The bulk of expenditure under the Ministry of Minerals & Energy reflects power import bills. A total of P2.45 billion was channeled to Botswana Power Corporation to cover monthly electricity import bills to augment the limited domestic generation capacity and as well as to honor loan obligations to the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China,” the Ministry stated in a recent briefing.
This heavy dependence on imported power stems predominantly from the underperformance of the Morupule B Power Plant, which has severely hindered the execution of other critical development initiatives, including essential energy infrastructure projects such as the North West Transmission Line Phase 2. “Without improvements in operational efficiency at Botswana Power Corporation, continued financial support to the Corporation will further limit the resources available for other development priorities under the prevailing austerity conditions,” the Ministry cautioned. Electricity supply from Botswana Power Corporation’s Morupule A and Morupule B facilities continues to fall short of national demand, compelling the country to source costly electricity from neighboring states.
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In the first quarter of the 2025/2026 fiscal year, domestic generation reached 635,194 MWh, supplemented by imports totaling 451,754 MWh. Eskom emerged as the principal supplier, accounting for 64.1 percent (289,475 MWh) of these imports. The Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation contributed 15.2 percent (68,763 MWh), while Nampower and cross-border electricity markets supplied 13.5 percent (60,665 MWh) and 5.8 percent (26,321 MWh), respectively.
Statistics Botswana’s Statistician General, Dr. Khaufelo Raymond Lekobane, reported a 4.5 percent decline in local power generation during the second quarter of the fiscal year, dropping from 635,194 MWh in the first quarter to 606,511 MWh. “This decline was primarily attributed to operational challenges at Morupule A and B,” he explained.
To mitigate the economic impact of potential load shedding, Botswana increased electricity imports by 15.3 percent, from 451,754 MWh in the first quarter to 521,003 MWh in the second. Year-on-year comparisons reveal a striking 120.7 percent surge in power imports. “The rise in imported electricity was necessitated by a decline in domestic electricity generation, underscoring Botswana’s continued reliance on external sources to fulfill its energy needs,” Dr.
Lekobane added. As a developing nation, Botswana faces a surge in energy demand that outpaces the capacity of its local generation assets. Rising electrification rates and the adoption of modern technologies drive this growing consumption.
Recent data from the Ministry of Minerals & Energy indicates electrification has increased from 78 percent to 83 percent, with 467 out of 565 gazetted villages now connected through the rural electrification program. In response to these supply constraints and to reduce dependency on imports, Botswana Power Corporation is actively undertaking remedial measures at Morupule B. Additionally, the Ministry affirmed that under the revised Integrated Resource Plan (IRP, 2025) and the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP), a portfolio of both conventional and renewable energy projects has been earmarked to bolster local generation capacity to meet both domestic and regional demand.
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