World Small Hydropower Development Report 2013 - Southern Africa

Abstract

The Southern African region comprises five countries, of which Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland and South Africa use small hydropower, with Namibia currently having a very limited use of this technology. Botswana does not possess any hydropower plants. The region has various climatic conditions, from tropical to temperate, semi-arid to desert. A high percentage of the population lives in rural areas and national electrification rates are generally very low with the exception of South Africa. Lesotho, Namibia, and Swaziland produce all or a majority of their electricity from hydropower, while South Africa is mostly coal dependent. All countries are members of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP)i; Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland are net importers of electricity. Lesotho has a very small electricity sector, thus recognizes the benefits of renewable energies. By 2020 the target for Lesotho is that 35 per cent of its electricity for rural electrification should come from renewables.