South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia: Total Darkness Threesome?

To observers, it’s incomprehensible that countries with active perennial waterways – via Zambezi River – teeter on the verge of energy poverty.

Electricity generation is meant to be a feat of simple engineering, though requiring substantial investment. Moreover, for countries that have eternally survived on high-end agriculture, deep mining and heavy industry, how is it that they find themselves in such a dire electricity deficiency?

It boils down to three factors: poor planning, corruption and despicable national governance.

Eskom errors

Take for instance South Africa, whose economic growth trajectory is globally acclaimed. It is inconceivable that local energy experts would have failed to accurately predict exponential demand for electricity. Eskom is one of the largest and oldest electricity companies in Southern Africa, with seven power generation entities under its tutelage.

The mere fact that it is a public utility in a country where high-level corruption is concomitant with public expenditure, explains why a $52bn company.

Full Story On Africa Report.