Last week, the Alliance for Rural Electrification and the NUL Energy Research Centre jointly organised the first Lesotho Energy Access Dialogue (LEAD 2025) in Maseru, focusing on closing Lesotho’s energy access gap and advancing the renewable energy market. The event forms part of Renewable Lesotho, a collaborative initiative supported by the European Union Delegation to Lesotho, BMZ, GET.invest, GET.transform and other partners.
Our sister programme GET.invest co-organised the event and hosted a matchmaking session to connect local and international stakeholders in mobilising renewable energy investments in the country. The session provided a structured platform for participants to engage in targeted, personal meetings with potential business partners, investors, and policymakers.
The LEAD event was officially opened by EU Ambassador Mrs. Paola Amadei, Lesotho’s Minister of Energy Hon. Mohlomi Moleko, and Mr. Deepak Mohapatra from ARE, and convened stakeholders from government, the private sector, and development partners to shape a sustainable energy future. Minister Moleko marked the government’s commitment to reducing dependency on electricity imports from South Africa by boosting local renewable energy generation, which is vital for economic resilience and sustainability.
Working with the public sector on creating conducive investment conditions, GET.transform shared expert insights on effective planning and frameworks in the event. Koena Marabe, Senior Policy Advisor for GET.transform in Lesotho, joined a panel discussion on “Policy and Regulatory Framework of the On- and Off-Grid Electrification Masterplans: Challenges and Opportunities in Lesotho”.
Lesotho’s public energy sector currently works in partnership with GET.transform on several key reforms to improve the ease of doing business in the sector. These include the review of the Energy Policy 2015–2025 to align with current market realities and create a more enabling environment for private sector participation. The development of an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) was also emphasised as critical for guiding least-cost, sustainable energy investments that support the country’s long-term energy needs. Another important recommendation is the establishment of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework to help mobilise private sector financing alongside donor support, which remains vital for accelerating renewable energy deployment in Lesotho.
With follow-up actions agreed and alignment strengthened, the LEAD event successfully served to foster collaboration and commitments to accelerate Lesotho’s energy transition.
