The African Hydro Symposium was launched in 1988 initially as a meeting of Eskom Hydro Plant Operators and, later extended in 1990 to include Hydro Operating Personnel representing Electrical Utilities and Independent Power Producers (IPP’s) from Southern Africa. The Symposium then became a forum to transfer technical knowledge, discuss specific Hydro problems and suggest solutions for the purpose of increasing plant performance.

With continued growth in representation the Symposium then changed its name to the “African Hydro Symposium (AHS)” and embraced the vision of becoming an internationally recognised body of hydro expertise, with the objective being to facilitate technical interaction in order to enhance Hydro Plant Performance for the mutual benefit of the participating utilities and IPP’s.

The Kafue Gorge Regional Training Centre (KGRTC) has been an active participant on the African Hydro Symposium (AHS) since 1991. KGRTC has been a committee member for organizing past symposia. At the 21st AHS held in Namibia in 2009 KGRTC was elected as Secretariat for the African Hydro Symposium and has been working with the host utilities in organising subsequent symposia.

The AHS is hosted on a country rotation basis and participating utilities and IPP’s have the option of hosting a Symposium. The hosting utility is responsible for hiring of venues, lunch, tea breaks, local transport, arranging for visits to hydropower sites, and all incidental logistics to plan and organise the event. However, KGRTC as Secretariat for this international event gives as much assistance as possible for the successful hosting of the Symposium. Delegates are responsible for their own travel costs to and from the hosting country as well as for accommodation and some meals. Further information about the AHS can be obtained from the AHS Secretariat. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 30th and 31st AHS was hosted virtually by KGRTC, both in October. The 32nd AHS was also hosted virtually by KGRTC, from 2nd to 3rd November 2022, owing to potential host utilities still being in the post-pandemic recovery period.

The 2023 AHS is planned to revert to the traditional face-to-face meeting. The host is not yet confirmed and once confirmed, the host and the date will be circulated to the AHS community together with the call for papers.

Recent papers presented at the AHS have related to topics on hydro operations, hydro maintenance, strategic planning and development, hydro management systems, environmental management, erection and commissioning of new units, feasibility studies for new plant, management of plant performance, funding of potential hydro projects, training, career path in hydropower in Africa and strategic solutions for regional power crisis. The recent past themes of the AHS were as follows:

• 2019 (Physical, Malawi): 29th AHS – “Quality Power for Sustainable Development in Africa”; 
• 2020 (Virtual): 30th AHS - “Hydropower Resilience and Sustainability – A Key to Re-Energize Africa’s Economy Impacted by the COVID-19”; 
• 2021(Virtual): 31st AHS - “Hydropower – Role, Risks and Opportunities in Driving Sustainable Renewable Energy Development for Africa’s Economic Recovery Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic”;

2022(Virtual): 32nd AHS - “Hydropower – Powering Clean Communities and Global Recovery”