The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority has now got 16 private players to fight with after 3 more were given license.

This means there have now been 16 private electricity companies in Zimbabwe registered between 2010 and now. The snag is none of them is producing power yet.

The total capacity of all these providers is said to be at a whooping 5,000 Megawatts. Zimbabwe needs slightly over 50% to function normally.

The new players, according to the local government rag The Herald are Essar Africa , China Africa Sunlight –  trust the Chinese to come up with such a name – and Nyangani Renewable Duru Minihydro. Nyangani is expected to be the first to commission with the Essar guys coming last.

Some of the honourable mentions who are expected to commission next year are Sengwa Power Station (2 400 MW) and Lusulu Power Plant, to the north of Sengwa in Binga (2 000 MW).  A smaller, Eunafric Power Station  is in discussions with Harare City Council and the Zim­babwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company on connection to the grid.

So you see what we mean when we say when we say, kinda.