October 17, 2026 – Burundi has signed a $1.4 billion, 25-year public-private partnership (PPP) with American company Anzana Electric Group to transform its electricity grid, in what Washington describes as the largest investment in the country’s history.
The agreement was signed between the Government of Burundi and Weza Power, a subsidiary of Anzana Electric Group. It will be implemented as Africa’s first new national-scale electricity distribution concession operated by a private company in decades.
From 12% to 70% electrification
The objective is ambitious: to raise national electrification from a baseline of 12 percent to 70 percent over the next several years, bringing first time or improved power to an estimated 8 million Burundians.
According to the project plan, Weza Power will: Build and upgrade approximately 52,000 kilometers of electricity distribution lines. Connect more than 1.2 million households and businesses. Create more than 2,000 direct jobs and over 30,000 indirect jobs.
Burundi currently has only about 183 megawatts of installed generating capacity, and its limited transmission and distribution infrastructure prevents electricity from reaching many homes, farms, mines and factories.
Washington: Strengthening supply chains and mining
The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, which announced the deal on October 17, directly linked the project to American strategic interests. “American company Anzana Electric has signed a $1.4 billion public-private partnership with the Government of Burundi to transform the country’s electricity grid,” the Bureau said. “A modern grid will open the door to a new wave of U.S. private-sector investment and strengthen U.S. supply chains, including in mining and agro-processing,” the statement added.
The message is clear: reliable electricity is seen as the prerequisite for unlocking Burundi’s mineral wealth. Although the country has resources including nickel, gold, tin and rare earth elements, limited power has restricted industrial activity and the ability to process resources locally.
Burundian president, Evariste Ndayishimiye welcomed the deal: “Electricity is the foundation of Burundi’s economic transformation and a key pillar of our Vision 2040-2060 ambitions.”
A blended finance model
The $1.4 billion figure is not a direct grant. It represents the total value of the long-term partnership, combining private capital with concessional financing from institutions including the World Bank, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), African Development Bank, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and British International Investment. taarifa.rwIts developers say the structure is designed to mobilise money without adding to Burundi’s public debt.
Anzana is not newcomer. The Mauritius-based group, backed by private American investors and Gridworks Development Partners, has operated in Burundi since 2018 through Songa Energy, which has one operational hydropower plant and another under construction.
Source: Anzana Electric Group
https://www.anzana.com/
