Zambia: REA, ZESCO Kick Off Subsidy Program For Last Mile Electricity Connectivity

The Rural Electrification Authority (REA) in partnership with ZESCO Limited has announced the commencement of a subsidy for the last mile connection fee subsidy program under the Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Transformation in Zambia (ASCENT Zambia).

The ASCENT Zambia is a five-year program with a US$200 million World Bank-funded project, complementing the US$250 million government funding commitment. The program aims to accelerate universal access to affordable, reliable, and clean electricity across Zambia, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas.

The last-mile connection fee subsidy program targets 100,000 new on-grid connections in 2026.

Under the program, households and businesses in rural areas requiring a standard single-phase connection will pay K300 instead of K4,846. This subsidy is intended to remove financial barriers and enable more Zambians to connect to the national grid.

Eligibility is primarily based on proximity to existing infrastructure, with applicants required to be within 30 meters of an existing low-voltage distribution pole.

REA and ZESCO will publish lists of eligible districts and townships, which members of the public are encouraged to consult.

In line with the program’s inclusion objectives, women-headed households and female-owned enterprises in eligible areas are particularly encouraged to apply.

To promote equity and nationwide participation, each province has been allocated 10,000 subsidized connections during the initial rollout, in line with the national target of 100,000 connections.

After the first 30 days of implementation, REA and ZESCO will jointly review the uptake and response levels per province. Based on this assessment, provincial targets may be adjusted to optimize utilization of the subsidy and ensure the program delivers maximum national impact.

REA and ZESCO encourage all eligible households and businesses to apply promptly and take advantage of this opportunity to access affordable electricity.