Power Cuts and Load Shedding in Zimbabwe: What Families Endure and What Visitors Need to Know

Load shedding has become one of the defining hardships of daily life in Zimbabwe. For much of 2024 and into 2025, households across the country have been without electricity for anywhere between 7 and 18 hours each day. The situation deteriorated sharply following the El Niño-induced drought that devastated southern Africa, draining the Kariba South hydropower station on the Zambezi River to critically low levels. By early 2025, Lake Kariba was reportedly just 3% full — down from 13% at the same point the previous year — forcing the station to generate only around 185 megawatts against an installed capacity of 1,050 megawatts. The scale of the deficit is stark. Zimbabwe's national electricity demand sits at around 2,000 megawatts, but the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) has been able to generate only approximately 1,083 megawatts. Coal-fired thermal plants at Hwange supply roughly 42% of Zimbabwe's electricity but are increasingly unreliable due to ageing infrastructure. Hydropower contributes 35% when water levels allow, and imports from South Africa, Mozambique, and Zambia make up around 20%. Independent power producers account for just 3%. In July 2025, Zimbabwe experienced a complete nationwide blackout after a system failure caused simultaneous generation losses at both major power stations, with electricity imports also interrupted. **The Economic Cost** The Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce estimates that businesses lose around $80 million every month due to power outages. The Chamber of Mines has projected losses of $500 million in a single year for the mining sector alone — an industry that includes operations linked to Impala Platinum, Anglo American Platinum, and Sibanye-Stillwater. Small businesses have been forced to close or operate exclusively at night to avoid daytime outages. Larger companies run expensive diesel generators, a cost that squeezes already thin margins. **How Zimbabwean Families Are Coping** For ordinary households, coping strategies have become part of everyday life. Families charge phones and portable devices during the few hours of available power, often waking in the early morning hours when electricity is restored to cook, do laundry, and complete other essential tasks. Many have returned to firewood and charcoal for cooking, a practical but environmentally damaging response to the crisis. Those with access to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) use it for cooking appliances. Candles, paraffin lamps, and battery-powered lights are standard household items. For families in the diaspora sending money home, it is worth understanding that appliances like fridges, freezers, and water pumps experience significant wear and tear from the constant switching on and off. Relatives may need support buying surge protectors, inverters, or solar home systems — increasingly popular among middle-income households. Small solar panel and battery setups that can power a few lights, a phone charger, and a small television are now widely available in Harare, Bulawayo, and other urban centres. **What Visitors and Returning Diaspora Should Expect** Anyone visiting Zimbabwe should prepare for regular and often lengthy power outages regardless of where they are staying. Even upmarket hotels in Harare typically have backup generators, but generator fuel costs are passed on to guests, and some smaller establishments may not run generators overnight. In residential areas, outages can follow a rotating schedule, though ZESA (Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority) and its subsidiary ZETDC (Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company) do not always publish reliable advance schedules, and unplanned outages occur on top of scheduled ones. Practical preparations for visitors include: - Carrying a portable power bank for phones - Bringing a small travel torch or headlamp - Confirming with accommodation whether backup power is available and during which hours - Not relying on electric appliances for time-sensitive tasks without a backup plan - Assuming that internet and Wi-Fi may be intermittent during outages unless the host has a generator or solar backup Food safety is also a real consideration. Refrigerated and frozen food spoils quickly during extended outages in Zimbabwe's climate. Families and visitors should be mindful about what is stored in fridges and how long it has been without power. **The Bigger Picture** Zimbabwe and Zambia have jointly begun exploring alternative energy solutions, including floating solar projects on Lake Kariba and wind energy investments. Both countries hosted an energy summit aimed at attracting international investors into renewable generation. However, progress has been slow against a backdrop of currency instability and limited fiscal space. The power crisis has drawn sharp political criticism domestically — in one widely noted incident, parliament itself lost power during a Budget speech, illustrating that no part of Zimbabwean society is insulated from the outages. For the diaspora, understanding this context helps when family members explain why appliances break down quickly, why food costs more when vendors lack refrigeration, or why communication can be unreliable at certain times of day. It also shapes what kinds of practical support — solar lanterns, inverters, or contributions toward generator fuel — might be more meaningful than cash alone.