Widespread Blackout Hits Zimbabwe, Zambia

A major power outage plunged Zimbabwe and Zambia into darkness on Sunday evening, affecting millions in both southern African nations, Bloomberg reports.

The outage, which began at around8:15 p.m. local time, was confirmed by Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) and Zambia’s state-owned utility, Zesco Ltd.

The cause of the disruption – the worst for Zambia in three years and for Zimbabwe since 2022 – is still under investigation. Both countries are already grappling with significant electricity shortages due to a severe drought, which has severely impacted hydropower generation, their primary source of electricity.

While ZPC reported that power has been largely restored in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer, was working throughout the night to reinstate electricity supplies.

The widespread nature of the outage and its impact on two already energy-stressed nations highlights the vulnerability of their power grids and the urgent need to diversify energy sources.