The Regional Electricity Regulators Association of Southern Africa (RERA) was established by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as a formal association of electricity regulators at a meeting held in Maseru, Lesotho on 12 July 2002. RERA was established in terms of the SADC Protocol on Energy (1996), the SADC Energy Cooperation Policy and Strategy (1996), the SADC Energy Sector Action Plan (1997), the SADC Energy Activity Plan (2000) and in pursuit of the broader initiative of the New Partnership for Africa's development (NEPAD) and the African Energy Commission (AFREC).

The Association was officially launched on 26 September 2002 in Windhoek, Namibia that also happens to be the seat of the RERA Secretariat. RERA was incorporated as an Association (Not for Gain) under the Companies Act, 1973 of the Laws of Namibia (Act 61 of 1973) on 03 October 2003. RERA has its own Constitution stipulating the objectives, functions and other operational requirements of the Association.

RERA's mission is to facilitate harmonisation of regulatory policies, legislation, standards and practices and to be a platform for effective cooperation among energy regulators within the SADC region. The objectives of RERA fall into three broad categories, namely:

1. Capacity Building & Information Sharing - Facilitate electricity regulatory capacity building among Members at both a national and regional level through information sharing and skills training.
    
2. Facilitation of Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) Policy, Legislation and Regulations - Enhance the increasing integration of electricity systems and electricity trade in the southern African region and beyond through the facilitation of harmonized ESI policy, legislation and regulations for cross-border trading, focusing on terms and conditions for access to transmission capacity and cross-border tariffs.
    
3. Regional Regulatory Cooperation - Deliberate and make recommendations on issues affecting the economic efficiency of electricity interconnections and electricity trade among members on issues that fall outside national jurisdiction, and to exercise such powers as may be conferred on RERA through the SADC Energy Protocol.

Membership to RERA is open to electricity supply industry regulatory agencies in each country within SADC region that pay annual subscriptions toward the costs of the Association.

• Regional Electricity Regulators Association of Southern Africa
• Institute for Electricity Sector Regulation of Angola (IRSE)
• Lesotho Electricity Authority (LEA)
• Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA)
• National Electricity Advisory Council of Mozambique (CNELEC)
• Electricity Control Board of Namibia (ECB)
• National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA)
• Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority of Tanzania (EWURA)
• Energy Regulation Board of Zambia (ERB)
• Zimbabwe Electricity Regulatory Commission (ZERC)