Our Story
Founded by Zambia's most respected energy pioneers, Zubalight Energy channels over a century of combined experience into a single mission: solving the nation's critical power crisis.
WHY WE DO IT
Step into the Light
It's one thing to read about a crisis in the news; it's another to feel it in the voices of your family. For us, Zubalight Energy wasn't born in a boardroom. It was born from a deep sense of responsibility, sparked by years of watching Zambia's immense potential being held back by a crippling power deficit. It began with a group of seasoned engineers, the very people who helped build the nation's infrastructure, deciding they could not stand by and watch it falter. They knew the problem inside and out, and they knew they held the key to the solution. This is the story of how that lifetime of experience was forged into a single, focused mission: to turn the lights back on and power Zambia's future.
A Foundation of Expertise
Before Zubalight Energy was a company, it was a series of conversations between some of Zambia’s most respected and experienced infrastructure builders. From the control rooms of ZESCO to the boardrooms of major industrial corporations and the front lines of complex engineering projects across Africa, our founders shared a unique, front-row view of Zambia’s development. They dedicated their careers to building the very infrastructure that powered the nation’s growth.
Witness to a National Challenge
As industry insiders, they also became firsthand witnesses to a creeping crisis. For years, they watched with growing concern as the nation’s reliance on its aging hydropower system became its greatest vulnerability. They saw the devastating impact of recurring droughts and understood, with an expert’s clarity, the severe consequences of a looming power deficit, a deficit that has now grown to a critical 1,360MW.
The Tipping Point
The prolonged, daily load shedding that followed was not just an inconvenience; it was a direct threat to the economic progress they had spent their lives contributing to. It was a challenge to the stability of the mining industry, the productivity of the agricultural sector, and the quality of life for every Zambian. The tipping point came when it was clear that waiting for a solution was no longer an option. A collective of minds, rich with decades of experience, decided to act.
Forging a Team of Specialists
It was then that Tresford Chama Lumbeta, a veteran of managing large-scale, multinational engineering projects, began to formalize a vision. He reached out and consolidated a “brain trust” of Zambia’s finest engineering, regulatory, and power systems experts. This included Joe Chiyassa, whose leadership at ZESCO provided unparalleled knowledge of the national grid; Beriwick D. Mungabo , with his deep expertise in project development and regulatory affairs; and Nic van Wyk, whose hands-on experience building power infrastructure across Africa brought essential execution capability.
The Birth of Zubalight Energy
Together, under the banner of Zubalight Energy, they formed a company with a singular, clear-eyed mission. This was not a venture born of opportunity alone, but of responsibility. They established a legally registered entity with the Engineering Institution of Zambia (EIZ), creating a formal structure to channel their expertise and lead the development of high-quality renewable energy projects.
Our Guiding Mission
Zubalight’s story is one of experts stepping forward to solve a problem they understand better than anyone else. It is the story of a team built not by chance, but by design, to apply a lifetime of experience to Zambia’s most critical challenge and build a more resilient, prosperous, and energy-secure future for the nation.