Gridworks welcomes the signing of a US$1.4 billion, 25-year public-private partnership between the Government of Burundi and Weza Power, a project developed by our portfolio company, Anzana Electric Group. The agreement establishes Africa’s first new national-scale electricity distribution concession to be operated by a private company in over 20 years.
The Weza Power partnership is designed to lift electricity access in Burundi from around 15% today to more than 50% by 2030. That means first-time or improved access for an estimated 8 million people, 52,000 km of new and upgraded distribution lines, and more than 1.2 million new household and business connections. It is also expected to create over 2,000 direct jobs and more than 30,000 indirect jobs.
The partnership is backed by a blended finance structure that mobilises private and concessional capital and contributes directly to Burundi’s Mission 300 National Energy Compact. The need is stark: electricity access in Burundi has historically been among the lowest in the world, with rural access at approximately 2%.
Gridworks invested in Anzana Electric Group in April 2023, committing US$50 million to grow the company. Weza Power demonstrates a grid-connected model for delivering new electricity connections at scale, and Gridworks is excited to support it as a scalable model for electrification.
Welcoming the signing of the Weza Power PPP in Burundi, Gridworks’ CEO, Chris Flavin said:
“This is a landmark moment for Africa’s electricity sector. I congratulate Anzana and Weza Power, and the Government of Burundi, on signing a partnership that could connect more than half the country’s population to electricity by 2030. Generation alone doesn’t light homes or power industry. It takes reliable transmission and distribution networks to carry electricity to the last mile, and the lack of those networks is one of the biggest barriers to economic growth and social development across Africa.
“As an investor in Anzana, Gridworks has supported the company’s expansion into a multi-country electricity platform, operating across southern and east Africa. We look forward to continuing our support as Weza moves into its next phase.”
