We welcome today’s announcement that the African Development Bank (AFDB) is providing a US$600k project development grant to Weza Power.
In 2023, our investee company, Anzana Electric Group launched Weza Power alongside the Government of Burundi. Weza is Africa’s first private sector, national-scale distribution utility in more than a decade and its ambition is to provide electricity to almost 70% of Burundians (or nine million people) over the next seven years. Today, just 12% of the population has access to electricity, with that number falling to 2% in rural areas, one of the lowest rates in Africa.
AFDB’s grant comes from their Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) and supports important environmental and social groundwork that will enable Weza to fast track a two-year pilot project to connect more than 40,000 new homes and businesses to the grid, starting in late 2025. This latest commitment makes AfDB the newest development finance investor to provide direct support to Weza Power, joining the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the US Government’s Development Finance Corporation.
Welcoming the announcement, Gridworks Director, Shaun Githuku said:
“I’m delighted to see the AfDB give their backing to the Weza Power project. Universal access to clean, reliable and affordable electricity in Burundi is possible and has been brought a step closer by their involvement in the project.
“By bringing energy to communities across the country, Weza Power will enable local entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and create jobs, and help families access basic services. Investment in electricity networks is vital to underpin job growth and economic development in Burundi.”
The announcement comes as Burundi unveiled its National Energy Compact at the M300 Private Sector Consultation held in London this week. The Compact outlines key reforms and investment priorities to reach universal energy access and serves as a cornerstone of the Mission 300 initiative — a joint effort by the World Bank and AfDB to connect 300 million people in Africa by 2030. Our team met with the Burundian government delegation on the sidelines of the event to discuss Weza’s progress and the other electricity infrastructure investments that our capital is supporting in the country.
Gridworks became a controlling shareholder of Weza’s parent company, Anzana Electric Group in April 2023 committing up to US$50 million investment to grow the company. By demonstrating a grid connected model for delivering new electricity connections at scale, Gridworks is excited to support Weza as a transformational model of rural electrification.
About Weza Power
Weza Power is a private electricity distribution company established to accelerate universal energy access in Burundi. Created and owned by Anzana Electric Group, Weza Power is designed as a national-scale Public-Private Partnership. It is backed by commercial equity, climate-linked and concessional financing, and technical support from multilateral and bilateral donors. The company aims to connect 9 million people across peri-urban and rural areas by 2030, making it one of the most ambitious distribution projects in sub-Saharan Africa.