Generation is Only Half the Story: T&D Africa 2027 to Deliver the Grid Backbone of Africa’s Power Revolution

Cape Town, South Africa – 8 June 2026 — While new generation capacity grabs headlines, the real bottleneck to Africa’s energy future lies in transmission and distribution. That is why T&D Africa Conference & Expo returns as the dedicated high-impact platform where the continent’s critical grid infrastructure challenges are solved.  As an official side event of Africa Energy Indaba 2027, and taking place from the 2 – 4 March 2027 at the CTICC in Cape Town, T&D Africa brings together utilities, grid operators, project developers, investors, technology providers, and policymakers to accelerate the financing, building, and modernisation of Africa’s transmission and distribution networks.

Africa’s Urgent Transmission Build Programme

South Africa’s Transmission Development Plan (TDP) 2025–2034 calls for the construction of approximately 14,500 km of new transmission lines and 210 new transformers, delivering around 133,000 MVA of additional capacity. The programme requires R112 billion in approved funding over the next five years as part of a broader R440 billion investment over the decade. This represents a fivefold increase in delivery pace compared to the previous ten years and is essential to integrate up to 53–56 GW of new generation capacity, largely from renewables.

The National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA) and the newly launched Independent Transmission Programme (ITP) are actively opening the door to private sector participation to accelerate delivery.  The Critical Importance of Regional Transmission Connections South Africa’s expansion is only one piece of a much larger continental puzzle. Robust regional interconnections through the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and other power pools are vital to:

• Unlock cross-border electricity trade and least-cost power sharing 
• Integrate massive renewable resources across countries 
• Improve energy security and reliability for the entire region 
• Reduce technical losses and enable industrial growth under the AfCFTA

Insufficient transmission infrastructure remains one of the biggest barriers to a truly competitive African power market. New interconnectors and grid modernisation will allow surplus generation in one country to flow to high-demand areas, crowd in private investment, and support Africa’s industrial renaissance.

At T&D Africa, delegates and exhibitors will engage directly with the leaders responsible for multi-billion-dollar T&D projects across the continent. The programme features:

• High-level policy dialogue on grid modernisation, smart infrastructure, and financing models 
• Focused sessions on HVDC, substations, digitalisation, renewable integration, and regional interconnectors 
• Exhibition showcasing cutting-edge T&D technologies and solutions 
• Dedicated networking via the B2B Connect Programme

“Generation without delivery is just potential,” said event organisers. “T&D Africa 2027 is the strategic platform where the projects, partnerships, and investment decisions that will build Africa’s power grid backbone are made.” 

Who Should Participate?

• Transmission utilities and grid operators 
• Independent power producers and project developers 
• Technology providers (smart grids, transformers, HVDC, digital solutions) 
• Investors, development finance institutions, and EPC contractors 
• Government ministries and regulators

T&D Africa is the continent’s premier conference and exhibition dedicated exclusively to transmission and distribution infrastructure. Held as an official side event of Africa Energy Indaba, it serves as the definitive platform for advancing grid modernisation, regional integration, and the investment required to deliver Africa’s power revolution.

ENDS