By: APA news

South Africa and Mozambique have signed a landmark energy cooperation agreement aimed at accelerating joint infrastructure projects and boosting energy trade, a move officials described as a major step toward regional energy security. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Maputo on Wednesday by South Africa's Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and Mozambique's Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Estevão Pale, during a ceremony attended by Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Daniel Chapo.

According to a statement, the MoU establishes a foundation for strategic partnerships in energy trading and development, focusing on electricity and natural gas. The agreement builds upon Mozambique's existing role as a critical partner, supplying power imports via the Cahora Bassa hydroelectric scheme to help stabilize South Africa's grid amid domestic generation shortfalls. The MoU comes as South Africa seeks to diversify its energy sources to address persistent electricity shortages.

Presidents Ramaphosa and Chapo were due to launch a gas facility built by South African company Sasol in Mozambique's Inhambane province, which Ramaphosa cited as an example of effective bilateral and public-private collaboration. The agreement will be formally reviewed at the next Bi-National Commission in South Africa, where progress on joint initiatives is expected to be reported.