Zambia: Utility likely to maintain prolonged rolling power cuts through late November /update 8

Zambia's energy provider, ZESCO, will likely continue to implement prolonged periods of rolling power cuts, causing further disruptions through late November. As of late October, the utility has struggled to provide 3 hours of power a day due to unplanned maintenance, occasionally resorting to supplying power at night. Critical infrastructure is being prioritized. The utility had progressively increased the duration of power interruptions to 12 hours in May, 20 hours in August, and 21 hours in September due to insufficient power generation from the Kariba Dam, a drop in energy imports from Namibia, and the maintenance of power plants. ZESCO has also blamed vandalism for power outages. The Zambezi River Authority, which manages the dam, reported that water levels had dropped to around 4.5 percent in late October 2024, compared to 18.6 percent in late October 2023.

Insufficient energy imports, unplanned breakdown of power plants, and low water levels will likely persist in the coming weeks and possibly months. Temporary commercial and communications disruptions are possible while load management and unscheduled disruptions occur; cellular and mobile services could be affected. Traffic disruptions and longer driving times are possible during these periods due to malfunctioning traffic signals. Power outages could also result in temporarily unavailable essential services such as ATMs and filling stations. There is an increased security threat during power outages. Blackouts could adversely affect security protocols, including alarm systems and electronic fences; opportunistic criminal activity could increase during electricity outages.