The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) has urged electricity utility companies in East and Southern Africa to explore innovative and scalable smart metering business models and prioritise revenue protection to ensure their financial viability and fulfill their operational mandates.
Speaking during the opening of the 2026 Power Institute for East and Southern Africa (PIESA) Conference in Lilongwe, ESCOM Board Chairperson Welford Sabola appealed to utility companies across the region to remain committed to community engagement and effective communication.
Sabola emphasised on the need to ensure that electrification strategies are inclusive, equitable, and provide sustainable energy access for all Africans, leaving no one behind.
Sabola described the conference as a “working laboratory” where utility companies can identify practical solutions to strengthen infrastructure resilience and ensure reliable electricity supply for Malawi and other countries over the next forty years.
He also stressed the importance of developing appropriate long-term strategies to support the energy sector.
He noted that this year’s conference theme aligns with Malawi 2063, the country’s long-term development blueprint, which places industrialisation as Pillar Two in its aspiration to become an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant nation.
“There are power losses in the systems which we need to deal with, but there are also elements of difficulties in collecting money when it comes to post-paid customers, so we need to deal with all these”, he said.
Sabola further said the conference will provide an opportunity for utility companies to learn and relearn best practices, adopt modern technical standards, reduce power outages, and support economic growth across the region.
On the Malawi – Mozambique Moma connection project Sabola said there is progress as they are currently waiting for transformers to be connected in Tete (Mozambique). He said people should remain patient as these are the biggest transformers in Africa.
In his remarks, Southern Africa Revenue Protection Association (SARPA) President Kenneth Samalapo said the association aims to promote knowledge-sharing, skills development, and best practices among utility companies, particularly in reducing technical and non-technical losses.
Samalapo said smart metering improves revenue collection in utilities such as electricity hence encouraging companies in the region to embrace technology if they are to minimize losses.
Samalapo therefore commended ESCOM for the progress it has made in adopting modern technologies that will help minimise electricity losses in the future.
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