ZESCO Cushions Low-Income Communities from Electricity Deficit Impact
The impacts of Zambia's drought-induced hydroelectricity deficit are far-reaching, with varying degrees of consequence on the different segments of society.
In response, the government, through ZESCO Limited, has begun allocating more hours of electricity to low-income communities across the country.
This initiative aims to support and improve the livelihoods of individuals and small-scale businesses. 21 low-income residential areas in Copperbelt, Lusaka, and Southern provinces are among the first beneficiaries of the revised supply of between 10 and 15 hours daily.
Featuring on a special edition of Malaiti Monday Live Chat program on September 29, 2025, titled Supporting Vulnerable Communities with Increased Electricity Supply, Chama Nsabika, Director Corporate Support Services at ZESCO said:
"The ideal would be that everybody gets what they want but when you have a situation where others are less able, let’s help those. In the end, what we want is for everybody to come out of the situation positively.”
She reiterated that the utility is prioritizing reliable access to electricity for critical institutions like hospitals and schools and has been supporting small businesses through diesel generators at trading places and has now added low-income households.
Ms. Nsabika noted that some stakeholders cannot afford alternative power solutions, must be considered a little differently whenever possible, adding, "It’s not just the vulnerable groups that we have helped. For example, the commercial wheat farmers, through ZNFU, wanted to irrigate their crop. They asked for support so from May to September, we helped them with a little bit more [power].”
Stakeholder engagements
To spread accurate information about the status of electricity supply and the actions ZESCO is taking, the Corporation engages with stakeholders through various platforms, including social media and on-the-ground interactions. This helps to provide clarity on its efforts to manage the current challenges and ensure long-term energy security stated Ms. Nsabika
The Director further assured the public that the number of beneficiaries of the increased supply will rise as more electricity becomes available. She called on the public to believe the efforts ZESCO continues to aggressively make to return to an energy-sufficient position.