Senior executives from some of Southern Africa’s leading power utilities and grid operators have been confirmed as speakers at the Power Africa Today conference during African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, underscoring growing efforts to strengthen transmission infrastructure, modernise electricity grids and deepen regional power market integration across the continent.

The conference, scheduled to hold in Cape Town, South Africa, from October 12 to 16, 2026, will bring together policymakers, utilities, investors and energy developers to address the regulatory, financial and infrastructure challenges associated with building interconnected electricity markets capable of supporting Africa’s industrialisation agenda.

Organisers said the participation of senior utility executives reflects the increasing recognition that expanding electricity generation alone is insufficient without the transmission networks needed to deliver reliable power to consumers and industries.

Among the headline speakers is Dan Marokane, Group Chief Executive of South Africa’s Eskom, who will provide insights into the utility’s ongoing operational turnaround and structural reforms.

After years of crippling load-shedding, Eskom has significantly improved the performance of its generation fleet, recording more than 340 consecutive days without power cuts and achieving an energy availability factor of 98.9 per cent during the 2025/26 financial year.

Marokane is expected to discuss the utility’s government-directed unbundling programme, which will separate Eskom’s transmission assets into an independent system operator as part of broader electricity market reforms designed to improve efficiency, transparency and investment.

Joining him is Velaphi Ntuli, Eskom’s Chief Nuclear Officer at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, Africa’s only operational nuclear power facility.

Koeberg secured 20-year licence extensions for both of its generating units in 2024 and 2025, enabling the plant to continue supplying 1,860 megawatts of baseload electricity through 2045.

Ntuli’s participation comes as South Africa’s updated Integrated Resource Plan (2025) identifies 5,200 MW of additional nuclear generation capacity as part of the country’s long-term energy mix, positioning nuclear power as a key component of future grid stability.

From East Africa, Richard Matsiko, Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), will outline Uganda’s efforts to bridge the widening gap between electricity generation and transmission capacity.

Uganda has more than doubled its installed electricity generation from 850 MW in 2014 to over 2,050 MW, creating increased pressure on transmission infrastructure.

To address the challenge, UETCL is implementing the Amari Power Transmission Project, a $50 million partnership with UK-based Gridworks, which became Africa’s first independently financed transmission project to enter construction in early 2026.

The utility is also advancing the 298-kilometre Uganda-Tanzania electricity interconnector, with construction expected to commence during the 2026/27 period, further strengthening regional electricity trade.

Representing Zambia will be Justin Loongo, Managing Director of ZESCO, who is expected to discuss reforms aimed at expanding private sector participation and accelerating renewable energy deployment.

ZESCO recently introduced open-access transmission regulations, allowing independent power producers to transport electricity through its grid, while adopting a multi-year tariff framework intended to provide greater certainty for investors.

The utility is targeting the addition of 1,000 MW of solar generation capacity by the end of 2026 to reduce dependence on hydropower, particularly during periods of drought.

In May 2026, ZESCO also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Stanbic Bank and GreenCo Power Services to jointly develop renewable energy projects serving commercial and industrial customers.

Regional electricity integration will also feature prominently during the conference with the participation of Stephen Dihwa, Executive Director of the Coordination Centre of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).

SAPP currently coordinates electricity planning, operations and power trading across 12 member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), with nine countries already physically interconnected through the regional transmission network.

The organisation’s regional integration efforts received further momentum in February 2026 when SAPP signed an agreement with the East Africa Power Pool (EAPP) to harmonise cross-border electricity trading rules.

A World Bank-supported technical assistance programme is also helping expand the regional electricity market and improve cross-border energy exchanges.

Commenting on the significance of the conference, NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber, stressed the central role of power utilities in driving Africa’s industrial transformation.

“Power utilities are at the heart of Africa’s industrial future,” Ayuk said.

“If we are serious about making energy poverty history, we need stronger collaboration between utilities, governments, investors and technology providers. Power Africa Today is where that collaboration takes shape.”

Power Africa Today forms part of the wider African Energy Week 2026 programme and is expected to serve as a major platform for advancing dialogue on electricity market reforms, investment opportunities, grid expansion and regional energy cooperation aimed at improving power access across the African continent.