Eswatini continues to rely heavily on imported electricity despite having significant domestic generation potential, with hydropower, biomass and solar supplying only a fraction of national demand. The kingdom typically generates roughly a third of the electricity it consumes domestically, leaving the balance to be supplied through imports, mainly from neighbouring South Africa and Mozambique and through the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP). The exact share of domestic generation varies considerably from year to year. In wetter years, Eswatini’s hydropower plants can push local generation toward 35% to 45% of total supply. During dry periods, however, reduced water availability can cut domestic production to around 20% to 30%, increasing the country’s dependence on imports.
The result is an electricity system in which Eswatini has generation assets of its own but remains structurally dependent on power purchased from outside its borders. Hydropower has traditionally been at the centre of Eswatini’s domestic electricity generation. The Eswatini Electricity Company operates several hydroelectric facilities, including Maguga, Ezulwini, Edwaleni and Maguduza. But these plants depend on water availability.
During periods of adequate rainfall, higher reservoir levels allow the plants to generate more electricity. During droughts, generation falls, forcing the country to increase imports to meet demand. This creates a structural vulnerability: a significant portion of Eswatini’s domestic generation is renewable, but it is not fully controllable. The country can have substantial installed generation capacity while still being unable to produce enough electricity when hydrological conditions deteriorate.
Eswatini also has an unusual advantage in biomass generation because of its large sugar industry. Sugar mills generate electricity by burning bagasse, the fibrous material left after sugarcane is processed. The industry has around 105 MW of biomass and cogeneration capacity, but much of that electricity is consumed by the sugar producers themselves. Only a smaller portion, typically around 10–15 MW is exported to the national grid. That means Eswatini’s biomass capacity is considerably larger than its contribution to the electricity available to the wider national market. The distinction matters. Having generation capacity is not the same as having electricity available to the national grid.
Solar power is beginning to add another source of domestic generation. Eswatini has strong solar resources and has been pursuing additional renewable-energy projects as it seeks to reduce its dependence on imported electricity. But solar remains a relatively small contributor to the national electricity mix. Its output is also intermittent, producing electricity during daylight hours and requiring complementary generation, storage or grid imports when production falls. As a result, adding solar capacity can reduce daytime imports without immediately eliminating the country’s broader dependence on external power.
The underlying problem is not simply that Eswatini lacks renewable resources. It is that domestic generation has not expanded quickly enough, or in a sufficiently diversified way, to keep pace with electricity demand. The country’s Energy Masterplan has previously identified domestic electricity production as accounting for less than 35% of total supply, with drought conditions capable of pushing that share considerably lower. This leaves Eswatini exposed to conditions beyond its borders. When domestic hydro output falls, the country has to turn to the regional electricity market.
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When regional supply is tight, however, imports can become more difficult or expensive. Eswatini’s electricity system is therefore closely connected to the wider Southern African power market. Imports from South Africa and Mozambique, alongside electricity traded through the Southern African Power Pool, help fill the gap between domestic generation and national demand. This regional integration provides an important safety valve. But it also means Eswatini’s energy security depends partly on the availability of surplus electricity in neighbouring countries.
That can become a problem when several countries in the region face electricity shortages at the same time. Eswatini’s electricity problem is therefore not simply a shortage of renewable-energy potential. It is a shortage of reliable domestic supply. The country already has hydropower, biomass and growing solar capacity. What it lacks is enough dependable generation, storage and grid capacity to ensure those resources consistently meet national demand. That is why increasing renewable capacity alone will not necessarily end Eswatini’s dependence on imports.
The country needs a more diversified domestic generation portfolio combining hydro, solar, biomass and potentially battery storage alongside stronger transmission infrastructure and additional generation capacity. Until that happens, Eswatini is likely to remain a country that generates a meaningful share of its own electricity while importing most of the rest.
