Zambia's crippling drought creates chance for solar power to shine

Melissa Chemam

1 September 2024 at 9:36 am·2-min read

With a prolonged drought affecting the supply of hydroelectricity all over southern Africa, a growing number of people are turning to solar to fill the energy gap.

"We can spend up to 44 hours with power," Kelly Huckaby tells RFI from the outskirts of Lusaka.

Originally from the United States, he has been based in Zambia since 2010 and runs a Christian ministry that hosts camps and conferences for up to 200 children at a time.

A reliable supply of electricity is essential. But the drought that has gripped southern Africa since early this year has led to rolling cuts in a country that relies heavily on hydropower.

For Huckaby, solar is proving the best alternative.

"We have just ordered solar fans, which can provide relief from the heat and also a little light and allow us to charge phones," he says.

Not only has he decided to invest in the devices for his own centre, he wants to offer solar lamps and fans to all his employees for Christmas.

Dams run dry

Zambia is going through one of its worst droughts in decades.

The country declared a national disaster in February, and has since been scaling back energy supply and trying to import electricity from neighbouring countries.

Hydroelectric dams normally provide more than 80 percent of the country's power, but lie nearly empty after months of dry weather.

The gigantic Kariba Dam on the Zambezi river, Zambia's largest source of hydroelectricity, has only 10 percent of water available for power generation, according to the Energy Ministry. The power plant it feeds will likely shut down within weeks.

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Dams run dry

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