Africa50 has secured new investment commitments and strategic partnerships as it seeks to mobilise more capital for infrastructure projects across the continent. New initiatives now span energy, electricity transmission, healthcare and dedicated infrastructure funds.
One of the key developments is a $20 million commitment from British International Investment (BII) to the Africa50 Infrastructure Acceleration Fund (IAF), making BII the fund’s latest limited partner and bringing total commitments to approximately $330 million.
BII has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the organisation to identify opportunities for co-investment, co-financing and capital mobilisation across African infrastructure. The IAF invests in equity and quasi-equity across sectors including power, transport and logistics, water and sanitation, and digital and social infrastructure. Africa50 noted that the fund is designed to invest in projects and operating platforms across the continent, covering a wide range of critical development needs.
The new partnerships also include a proposed small-scale liquefied natural gas project in Tanzania. Africa50, the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and TAQA Arabia are working on the first phase of a project intended to distribute domestic natural gas to industrial and transportation customers across the country.
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Africa50 is developing the project with TAQA Arabia and TPDC, with the partners seeking to establish a bankable model that can be replicated in Tanzania and elsewhere to serve as a blueprint for other nations. “This agreement reflects Tanzania’s commitment to using its natural gas resources to support national development,” said Mussa M. Makame, Managing Director of TPDC. “As a gas supplier to this project, TPDC will work with the project partners to broaden domestic access to cleaner, reliable energy and create greater value for the Tanzanian economy.”
Africa50 has also signed an MoU with Tanzania Electricity Supply Company (TANESCO) covering the development of electricity transmission public-private partnerships. The collaboration is expected to support the development of Tanzania’s first Independent Power Transmission project, building on Africa50’s transmission project in Kenya. “Partnering with the group provides Tanzania with strategic project-development and financing expertise as we unlock private capital for Africa’s transmission infrastructure,” said Engineer Timoth Mgaya, Acting Managing Director of TANESCO.
The partnership, he added, would support East Africa’s power market.
For the people living in these regions, the shift toward domestic gas supply means that factories and transport fleets can stop relying on imported, often expensive, diesel. This localizing of energy supply could stabilize costs for local businesses and reduce the volatility of fuel prices that currently hurt household budgets by insulating the economy from global market fluctuations.
In healthcare, Africa50 and Tanzania’s Ministry of Health have agreed to collaborate on expanding the country’s capacity to provide kidney and renal care. The initiative is intended to support investment in healthcare infrastructure, equipment and long-term operating capabilities.
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“This project will turn Tanzania’s abundant gas resources into reliable energy for industry, communities and transport, strengthening energy security and accelerating industrialization,” said Pakinam Kafafi, CEO of TAQA Arabia subsidiary Rosetta Energy Solutions. Maasdorp emphasized that the partnership reflected a shared objective to mobilise additional capital for infrastructure.
“Africa’s infrastructure needs are significant, but so are the opportunities,” Maasdorp said. “By combining our expertise, networks and capital, we can help unlock investment that drives growth, creates jobs and improves lives.”
Africa50 Group CEO Alain Ebobissé said the organisation’s focus remained on developing bankable projects, mobilising finance and accelerating infrastructure delivery. “The group was created to develop bankable projects, mobilize finance for investments in Africa’s infrastructure and accelerate delivery,” Ebobissé said. “We are now ready to raise our ambition, translating the vision of African leaders into infrastructure investments at scale.”
The latest commitments expand the organisation’s activity across both project development and fund management, while bringing additional public and private capital into infrastructure opportunities in African markets.
