Energy integration and joint industrialisation in Southern Africa dominated discussions at the opening session of the 11th Mozambique Mining and Energy Conference and Exhibition (MMEC 2025), taking place on 7 and 8 May in Maputo. Bringing together ministers from the energy and mineral resources sector of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the panel focused on promoting collaborative strategies for the sustainable use of natural resources, with a view to industrialisation and regional growth.
In his speech, Mozambique’s Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Estêvão Pale, argued that regional industrialisation requires the integrated use of resources and the creation of sustainable logistics and industrial corridors. He also noted that Mozambique has strategic minerals such as graphite, lithium, titanium, iron and coal, but that their transformation depends on joint investments in technology, energy and infrastructure, also emphasising the need to harmonise public policies among member states to strengthen the attraction of investments focused on local value.
‘Collaboration between countries in the region is essential. We have the resources, but we need technological synergies, compatible policies and coordinated investment to transform our minerals and develop a low-carbon industry,’ said Pale. The minister also mentioned Mozambique’s energy transition strategy, which focuses on setting up green industrial parks and promoting projects with the potential to transform the mining and energy industries.
Malawi’s Energy Minister, Ibrahim Matola, reinforced the role of energy as the foundation for economic and social development. He stressed that sectors such as agriculture, tourism, mining and manufacturing require reliable electricity supplies and that regional integration is essential to ensure energy security. ‘Mozambique’s gas can fuel the energy needs of Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania. We need to share resources and work as one region, not as isolated countries,’ he said.
Matola also stressed the importance of using existing instruments, such as the Southern African Power Pool, to facilitate energy exchange and avoid shortages in neighbouring countries. ‘We need to strengthen the interconnection of our electricity grids. Energy must be a regional and accessible commodity,’ he said.
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Energy and Energy Development, July Moyo, echoed previous statements and called for the creation of a cohesive regional energy market that is attractive to investors. ‘We have abundant resources and strategic ports. What we lack is joint planning. An investment in Mozambique can serve the entire region,’ he said.
Moyo stressed that access to electricity in SADC is still below 35% and that, to reverse this scenario, it is necessary to combine clean energy sources — such as hydro and solar — with strategic use of coal and natural gas. ‘Regional industrialisation must focus on youth and value creation. The energy sector must be structured to serve this purpose,’ he argued.
The session, under the theme ‘Strategies for Sustainable Transformation: Collaboration to Use Natural Resources towards an Integrated and Industrialised Region’, marks the start of the MMEC 2025. The event is attended by government representatives, business leaders, academics, regulators and international development partners.
Among the topics under discussion are attracting financing for energy infrastructure, local mineral development, the role of energy in agriculture and tourism, and the construction of cross-border industrial corridors.
Text: Felisberto Ruco
