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Southern Africa’s Utility and Grid Leaders to Tackle Infrastructure Execution at AEW 2026
Senior utility executives, system operators and energy sector leaders from across Southern Africa will gather at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town as the region intensifies efforts to strengthen grid reliability, expand transmission infrastructure and accelerate new generation investment across the SADC power pool.
Confirmed speakers include Velaphi Ntuli, Chief Nuclear Officer at Eskom; Stephen Dihwa, Executive Director of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) Coordination Center; Precious Edward, Executive Head of South Africa’s Independent Power Producer Office; and Hlayiseka Chauke, CEO of Liberty Coal.
Their participation reflects a sector under pressure to deliver system stability while simultaneously expanding access. South Africa’s Eskom continues to advance technical improvements across its generation fleet, including ongoing optimization of its nuclear operations at Koeberg, which remains a key component of the country’s baseload capacity and long-term energy mix. At the same time, Eskom is engaging in early discussions with multilateral lenders, including the World Bank, on potential financing pathways for a broader nuclear expansion program, while recent studies have identified the Thyspunt site as a leading candidate for a new nuclear power station.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s Independent Power Producer Office is implementing updated procurement frameworks designed to accelerate new generation capacity, streamline bidding cycles and improve alignment between renewable energy deployment and national grid requirements.
Liberty Coal, a South African coal producer, reflects the continued role of baseload power in supporting regional system stability, alongside evolving investment in thermal generation and associated supply chains. The company is pursuing a vertical integration strategy following recent upgrades at its Optimum Colliery operations and is leveraging its stake in the Richards Bay Coal Terminal to support plans to scale production.
At a regional level, the SAPP Coordination Center is focused on strengthening system coordination and cross-border electricity flows, with transmission interconnectors playing an increasingly central role in balancing supply and demand across member states. Recent infrastructure developments include the Mozambique–Malawi interconnector, which is nearing completion, alongside ongoing upgrades to the Zambia–Tanzania network aimed at improving wheeling capacity and enhancing regional power trade efficiency.
“The participation of utilities and system operators from Southern Africa at African Energy Week 2026 reflects a clear shift from planning to execution,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “This is now about delivering grid reliability, scaling cross-border power trade and mobilizing the infrastructure investment needed to keep pace with rising demand and industrial expansion across the region.”
AEW 2026 will provide a platform for these stakeholders to align on the next phase of Southern Africa’s power system development, with a focus on transmission expansion, generation adequacy and regional energy integration across the SADC bloc.