Malawi: Expert Demands Overhaul of Escom's Crumbling Power Grid

What the report says

An energy expert has urged Malawi’s state-run power distributor, Escom, to overhaul its maintenance and monitoring systems after another nationwide outage highlighted persistent weaknesses in the country’s electricity grid. The comments, reported by Nyasa Times and distributed by AllAfrica, focused on the impact of repeated blackouts on homes, businesses and public institutions across Malawi.

The expert, Grain Malunga, described the recurring shutdowns as a major drag on the economy and said the problem is avoidable if the utility adopts stronger preventive maintenance and better fault detection. He also suggested that Escom consider using artificial intelligence tools to identify problems earlier and reduce the risk of sudden, large-scale interruptions.

According to the report, the latest system shutdown began on Sunday at 7:11 a.m. and left much of the country without electricity for several hours before power was restored gradually by region. The article says Escom has faced growing criticism in recent years over unreliable supply and calls for more accountability and transparency.

The issue matters because Malawi’s power instability affects business activity, public services and everyday life, while also raising broader questions about investment in grid resilience. More generally, utilities in many African countries have faced similar pressure to modernize aging infrastructure, but the article specifically centers on Malawi’s immediate outage and the call for reform.