BERA Act amendments to boost transmission investment
Mbongeni Mguni | Monday October 19, 2026 22:01
Speaking at the National Business Conference in Francistown earlier today, BERA CEO, Never Tshabang, said the amendments are due to be discussed in the upcoming November sitting of Parliament.
The recognition of independent transmission providers comes as the country’s boosts its electricity generation, with various projects either ongoing or planned around the country.
“We are working on a regulatory framework to bring the private sector into transmission to create capacity especially interconnectors between us and our neighbours for ease of trade,” he said.
Tshabang said the country was expected to experience excess power from about 2029, which would require investment in transmission now to evacuate the electricity to customers in the region.
Besides exports, the CEO said the higher generation of electricity could be channelled into building local industries or computing power through data centres.
Tshabang added that the amendments would also recognise generation for industries without having to go through the BPC.
The development is also key as numerous corporates have indicated their desire to self-generate electricity, particularly green energy in line with their Environment, Social and Governance commitments.
Tshabang said with the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme’s target of a tenfold increase in generation capacity by 2036, BERA would play a central role in optimising the increase.
“The government’s role, through BERA, is now to build a conducive regulatory framework to allow private sector investment,” he said. “In that regard, BERA commissioned a project to review the electricity market structure. “A model has been proposed: a single buyer with open access where some customers, mainly large customers, can buy part of their electricity needs from other suppliers other than BPC.”