Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana’s electricity imports rose sharply in early 2025 amid a steep decline in local generation driven by operational issues at key power stations.
Botswana imported 577,466 megawatt-hours (MWH) of electricity during the first quarter of 2025, representing a 40.8 percent increase from 410,020 MWH recorded during the same period in 2024, Statistics Botswana has reported.
The government statistics agency further noted that electricity imports rose by 61.9 percent quarter-on-quarter, up from 356,682 MWH in the last quarter of 2024.
“This significant uptick was driven by a decline in domestic electricity generation, which necessitated a higher dependence on imports to meet national energy demand,” the agency said in its report titled Electricity Generation and Distribution Stats Brief, First Quarter 2025.
SA remains main supplier
South Africa’s Eskom was the principal source of imported electricity during the quarter, supplying 51.6 percent (297,687 MWH) of total imports. Namibia’s Nampower followed with 24.9 percent (143,826 MWH), while the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation contributed 11.8 percent (68,232 MWH).
The Southern African Power Pool accounted for 7.6 percent (43,713 MWH), and cross-border electricity markets supplied 4.1 percent (23,704 MWH). Electricidade de Mozambique contributed just 0.1 percent (304 MWH).
Cross-border electricity markets refer to arrangements where border towns and villages receive electricity directly from neighbouring countries. “This trend highlights Botswana’s continued reliance on regional electricity suppliers to meet its growing energy demands,” the report stated.
Local generation plunges
Domestically, the physical volume of generated electricity fell by 34.0 percent from 791,267 MWH in the first quarter of 2024 to 522,031 MWH in the same period in 2025. On a quarterly basis, production declined by 38.6 percent, down from 849,846 MWH in the final quarter of 2024.
The report attributed this decrease to operational challenges at the Morupule A and B power stations.
“During the quarter under review, the Morupule A and B power stations accounted for a substantial 94.6 percent (493,947 MWH) of the total electricity generated,” Statistics Botswana noted.
Renewables modest entry
Emergency power plants in Orapa and Matshelagabedi contributed 2.2 percent (11,371 MWH) to national generation, while solar power accounted for 3.2 percent (16,713 MWH).
The integration of solar energy from the Bobonong, Phakalane, and Shakawe solar plants into the national grid marked a step towards renewable energy inclusion.
“Despite periodic fluctuations, the overall downward trajectory reflects the country’s sustained efforts to enhance local electricity generation capacity,” the report said.
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