A planned 400kV electricity interconnector between Zambia and Malawi is moving forward as part of a broader effort to deepen power trade and improve energy security across Southern Africa.
World Bank project documentation disclosed on 26 August outlines support for the Zambia-Malawi Interconnector, which is designed to strengthen cross-border transmission capacity and improve the ability of the two countries to exchange electricity through the Southern African Power Pool.
Regional trade, not just a transmission line
The significance of the project extends beyond the physical line itself. Southern African power systems remain unevenly supplied, with countries facing different generation mixes, seasonal constraints and reliability challenges. Stronger interconnections can allow countries with surplus electricity to sell into markets facing shortages, improving system flexibility and reducing reliance on more expensive emergency generation.
For Zambia and Malawi, the project is expected to support least-cost electricity trade while strengthening grid resilience. It also adds another link to the regional infrastructure needed for a more integrated Southern African electricity market.
Infrastructure needed for a functioning power pool
The Southern African Power Pool has long aimed to make cross-border electricity trading a larger part of the region’s energy system. That ambition depends on transmission links that are strong enough to move electricity between national grids when market and system conditions require it.
New interconnectors can therefore have a wider economic effect by improving supply reliability for homes, businesses and industry while creating a larger regional market for power producers.
The Zambia-Malawi link also illustrates the role of development finance in regional infrastructure. Cross-border transmission projects often require coordination across utilities, regulators and governments, with financing structures that recognise benefits extending beyond a single national market.
As implementation progresses, the key measure will be how quickly the project moves from financing and preparation into construction and operational cross-border trade.
Source
World Bank project documentation, disclosed 26 August 2026.
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