Zambia to import electricity from Eskom to plug severe deficit

Zambia will import electricity from South Africa starting next month to help plug a severe deficit that’s causing daily power cuts lasting about eight hours, according to the acting managing director of the power utility in Africa’s second-biggest copper producer.

State-owned Zesco concluded talks with Eskom last week to buy as much as 300 megawatts for six months, Webster Musonda told reporters in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital. The country has a shortfall of 700 megawatts, about a third of peak demand, after drought curbed output at the hydropower stations that it depends on for 80% of generation.

- With assistance from Matthew Hill.