Country snapshot · Southern Africa
Eswatini
Solar added each year
Ember estimates of all solar (utility-scale, distributed and off-grid), MW. 2026 is Ember’s full-year estimate.
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| Year | MW | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0.5 | Ember estimate |
| 2024 | 0.2 | Ember estimate |
| 2025 | 0.7 | Ember estimate |
| 2026E | 0.9 | Ember estimate, full year |
0.0% of Africa’s estimated 2026 solar additions (0.9 of 17,449.4 MW).1
Who has electricity
Share of people with access to electricity, 2024: rural and urban.
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| Area | Access | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Rural | 88.3% | 2024 |
| Urban | 92.1% | 2024 |
| National | 89.3% | 2024 |
World Bank WDI, 2024.2
How reliable is the grid for business?
Firms experiencing electrical outages (2024 survey), compared with Sub-Saharan Africa and the world.3,4N6
58.5% (2024 survey) · Sub-Saharan Africa 72.4% · World 47.5% (2025)
The rules for small-scale generationN2,N7
Export rules: Yes
- Regulator
- ESERA
- Main utility
- Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC)
Export rulesSmall-Scale Embedded Generation framework (net billing, 2021/22); EEC embedded-generation feed-in tariffs in force from 1 Aug 2026 to 31 Mar 2027 (EEC approved tariff schedule).5,6High confidenceShow detail
ESERA's Small-Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) Framework of 2021/22 uses net billing, not net metering. It was in pilot as of Oct 2024. EEC "Embedded Generation Feed-in Tariffs" approved by ESERA took effect 1 Aug 2026
How exports are creditedFlat 51.23 c/kWh exported, excluding VAT, for non-time-of-use residential and small commercial customers; separate time-of-use rates (31.49–166.02 c/kWh by season and period). Effective 1 Aug 2026 to 31 Mar 2027. A news report adds that customers must consume more than they export each year; not stated in the schedule.5,6High confidenceShow detail
From 1 Aug 2026: 51.23c per kWh exported for residential and small commercial systems, varying by season and time of use, valid to 31 Mar 2027. Earlier pilot rate was SZL 0.79. Customers must consume more than they export each EEC financial year
Size limits and licensingFramework up to 1 MVA; national cap 37 MW; own use under 100 kW needs no licence.7Medium confidenceShow detail
SSEG covers up to 1 MVA. Own-use systems under 100 kW need no licence; 100 kW to under 1 MW needs a 2-year exemption. Generators selling more than 1 GWh/yr need a licence. National penetration cap is 37 MW. The 2026 ESERA portal handles embedded generation up to 2 MW. The connection fee is E8,979 for 1–350 kVA
Mini-grid rulesMini- and off-grid framework completed (year not stated).7Medium confidenceShow detail
Mini- and off-grid framework "completed" (year not stated). Off-grid generation needs a licence under the Electricity Act unless the Minister grants an exemption
Market access beyond the utilityWheeling framework completed Nov 2022.7Medium confidenceShow detail
ESERA Wheeling Framework completed Nov 2022. SSEG did not allow third-party sale of excess as of 2024
Aggregation / VPP rulesNone found7Medium confidenceShow detail
None found. An energy-storage requirements framework was awaiting approval (2024)
“None found” means we could not locate a rule in public sources reviewed to 10 October 2026, not that one cannot exist.
Recent developments
Dated developments, 2024–2026.
The full report
This is a snapshot. The full story is in Africa’s Invisible Grid.
The full analysis, with 17 exhibits on the boom, the data gap, the economics and the four building blocks, is in Africa’s Invisible Grid.
