By Caroline Washaya-Moyo
The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) exhibited at the just-ended Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo in Masvingo, reaffirming its commitment to providing reliable electricity and promoting modern energy solutions to support the growth of Zimbabwe’s tourism and hospitality industry.
The 19th edition of the tourism showcase, held from 9 to 12 September 2026 at the Gymkhana Events and Conference Centre, brought together tourism stakeholders, exhibitors and potential investors. ZESA’s participation highlighted the critical role of energy security in sustaining tourist destinations, hospitality establishments and tourism-related businesses.
Speaking on the reasons for exhibiting at the expo, ZESA said reliable power was essential to the development of the tourism sector and reaffirmed its commitment to powering Zimbabwe’s tourist destinations.
“As the national power utility, we believe reliable power and modern energy solutions drive and sustain Zimbabwe’s tourism and hospitality industry. We are here to assure the sector of our commitment in powering Zimbabwe’s tourist destinations,” the utility said.
ZESA also used the platform to showcase its participation in regional energy trading as part of efforts to enhance energy security. The power utility highlighted ongoing plans to expand its generation, transmission and distribution networks through projects outlined in Zimbabwe’s National Energy Compact.
The utility encouraged visitors to access the National Energy Compact at its exhibition stand, highlighting opportunities for investment in the energy sector in line with the country’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and Vision 2030.
The expansion of energy infrastructure is expected to contribute to Zimbabwe’s broader development ambitions, including universal access to energy by 2030, while creating a more reliable operating environment for tourism businesses and other productive sectors.
Promoting renewable energy and investment
ZESA further highlighted the importance of renewable energy technologies, particularly solar power, as tourism operators increasingly explore alternative energy solutions to complement grid electricity.
Through net metering, eligible customers who generate electricity from renewable energy sources can feed surplus power into the grid and receive energy credits that offset their electricity bills, subject to applicable regulations and arrangements.
The utility said the system presents opportunities for tourism establishments to manage energy costs more efficiently while supporting the integration of renewable energy into Zimbabwe’s electricity supply system.
Enhancing customer service through digitalisation
In line with efforts to improve the ease of doing business, ZESA also showcased upgrades to its self-service portal.
The upgraded platform enables customers to manage their accounts, track electricity consumption trends, view tokens and submit meter readings without having to visit a physical office.
The digital service is expected to improve convenience for customers, including businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector, by making it easier to access essential electricity services.
Commitment to uninterrupted power supply
Beyond its exhibition activities, ZESA said its technical teams remained on standby to support the provision of electricity to the exhibition centre, Masvingo Province and the nation at large.
The utility’s participation underscored the importance of reliable electricity, infrastructure investment, renewable energy adoption and digital customer services in strengthening Zimbabwe’s tourism industry and advancing the country’s development objectives under NDS2.
As Zimbabwe continues to position itself as a competitive tourism destination, ZESA’s engagement at the expo demonstrated the significance of collaboration between the energy and tourism sectors in building a resilient and sustainable tourism economy.
