For the first time, the SOLTRAIN initiative expanded beyond core countries in the SADC region. Coordinated by SACREEE the SOLTRAIN partners hosted four workshops in Malawi, Tanzania, Eswatini, and Zambia, training over 170 professionals, of which 51 were women from government, TVET institutions, and industry. The programme aims to accelerate solar thermal adoption while promoting gender inclusion and building capacity across the SADC region.
- Malawi (07–08 April, Lilongwe): Hosted by Lilongwe Technical College with the Ministry of Energy and TEVETA, training 35 participants. Key achievements included an MoU between SACREEE and TEVETA to establish a national solar thermal training programme and recommendations to integrate solar thermal into education curricula.The workshop was facilitated by NUST - SOLTRIAN partner in Zimbabwe.
- Tanzania (06–07 August, Dar es Salaam): Co-hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Tanzania Renewable Energy Association(TAREA), with 43 participants. The workshop focused on hands-on demonstrations and reinforced regional cooperation on solar thermal policy and adoption. The workshop was facilitated by SANEDI SOLTRAIN Partner in South Africa.
- Eswatini (13–14 August, Matsapha): Conducted with the Ministries of Natural Resources & Energy and Education & Training, with 61 participants. Facilitated by CRSES (Stellenbosch University), it marked Eswatini’s formal entry into SOLTRAIN+, highlighting strong youth and gender representation.
- Zambia (01–02 September, Lusaka): Held with the Ministry of Energy and TEVETA, training 35 participants. Facilitated by CERC-UB -SOLTRAIN partner in Botswana, it strengthened knowledge in solar system simulation tools (T*SOL) and encouraged practical system demonstrations.
Collectively, the workshops enhanced technical capacity, fostered regional collaboration, and strengthened institutional commitment to sustainable energy education.
The next trainings are already in planning. The common feedback by the participants was: "We want more practical training and hands-on experience with solar thermal and heat pump technology". Thus, SOLTRAIN will provide training rigs for each of the 4 countries.
