Bridging Communities and Investors, ZIM-ZAM Summit Seeks Energy Solutions for All

By Shingirai Vambe

The lights of Southern Africa’s energy future will shine brightly once again this November, as Livingstone, Zambia prepares to host the second edition of the Zimbabwe-Zambia (Zim-Zam) Energy Projects Summit. Scheduled for 26–28 November 2025, the event will take place at the prestigious Radisson Blu Mosi-Oa-Tunya Resort, a world-class venue set against the majestic backdrop of Victoria Falls and the mighty Zambezi River.

More than just a conference, the Zim-Zam Energy Summit has positioned itself as a critical convening platform for energy leaders, policymakers, financiers, and investors determined to unlock Southern Africa’s full energy potential. The forum seeks to accelerate investment into energy infrastructure, foster private-sector partnerships, and establish sustainable policies that will help close the region’s persistent energy gap.

The origins of the summit can be traced back to Barcelona in 2024, during the Africa Energy Forum, where global investors and stakeholders urged organisers to create a dedicated platform for Zimbabwe and Zambia. The two neighbouring nations, blessed with abundant natural resources but grappling with chronic energy deficits, were seen as ideal candidates for a focused dialogue on unlocking energy investment.

That vision came to life in November 2024 at the Elephant Hills Resort, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, when the inaugural Zim-Zam Summit gathered hundreds of participants from around the globe. The event featured high-level government representatives, including Zimbabwe’s Vice President, Dr. Constantino Chiwenga, alongside ministers of energy from both nations, regulators, utilities, and private investors.

The summit also received strong backing from key sponsors such as ZESA Holdings, the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA), Vinmart Group, Marsh, Copperbelt Energy Corporation, and ZETDC. The inaugural event did not merely serve as a networking opportunity; it showcased tangible investment prospects, including a site visit to the Victoria Falls Solar Project, where more than 60 investors witnessed first-hand the promise of renewable energy development.

This year, the summit moves across the Zambezi River to Livingstone, Zambia, with the theme: “Mines and Energy: How Stakeholders Have Fast-Tracked Private Sector Projects to Become Africa’s Top Investment Destination.”

The choice of theme reflects the growing role of mining and energy partnerships in shaping Africa’s development trajectory. With mineral-rich Zambia and Zimbabwe heavily reliant on energy for industrialisation, sustainable and affordable electricity remains the cornerstone of regional economic growth.

Participants will once again include international financiers, IPPs (Independent Power Producers), institutional investors, utilities, regulators, EPC contractors, and technology providers, all coming together with one mission: to close the energy access gap and establish pathways toward sustainable, innovative, and investment-friendly energy policies.

Despite having vast renewable energy potential, from hydropower on the Zambezi to solar fields stretching across the savannah, both Zimbabwe and Zambia continue to suffer from severe electricity shortages. Frequent load-shedding has slowed industrial growth, deterred investors, and disrupted livelihoods.

At the heart of this year’s summit is a recognition that bridging the energy divide requires more than projects alone. It demands, Innovative financing models that de-risk private investment, clear and consistent regulatory frameworks to attract long-term capital, public-private partnerships (PPPs) that foster collaboration between governments, utilities, and private players, sustainable energy policies that balance immediate needs with climate commitments and the gender and community inclusion, ensuring local people benefit directly from energy projects.

As organisers note, the summit is not merely about investment, it is about creating a roadmap to resilience, one where innovation drives opportunity and sustainable policies attract global capital.

The Zim-Zam Energy Summit is designed to go beyond speeches and panel discussions. The format integrates, business-to-investor dialogues, where project developers meet financiers face-to-face, technology showcases, featuring cutting-edge solutions such as solar mini-grids, battery storage, smart meters, and hydro rehabilitation technologies, and networking activities, including a pre-summit golf tournament, traditional cultural dinners, and a Zambezi River sunset cruise, spaces where business relationships are forged in both formal and informal settings.

This blend of professional engagement and cultural immersion ensures participants leave not only with new contacts and contracts but also with a deeper connection to the Zambezi region’s people and environment.

For Zimbabwe and Zambia, energy is the engine of their long-term development strategies, Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 and Zambia’s own agenda for industrial transformation. Without reliable, affordable, and sustainable power, these ambitions remain out of reach.

The Zim-Zam Summit aims to ensure that energy is not a bottleneck but a catalyst. By linking local projects to global investment pipelines, and by promoting policies that encourage innovation and sustainability, the summit provides both nations with a practical roadmap to energy independence and economic growth.

As Southern Africa navigates the twin challenges of climate change and economic recovery, the Zim-Zam Energy Projects Summit stands as a beacon of collaboration and resilience. In Livingstone this November, the Zambezi will not just be a river dividing two nations, it will be the current driving them towards a shared energy future.

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