The national electricity utility of Zambia, ZESCO Limited, and Anzana Electric Group (Anzana), have signed key terms of a joint venture for the electrification of millions of people on the Zambian portion of the Lobito Corridor under a US$300 million deal. The project will enable the rehabilitation and expansion of the national electricity network to provide first-time grid-connections for nearly 2 million Zambians by 2030.
The signed terms for a joint venture pave the way for approximately US$300 million in blended commercial and concessional capital investments. The partnership builds on a Memorandum of Understanding between Anzana and Zambia’s Ministry of Energy signed in February 2025.
The signing of the agreement between ZESCO and Anzana was witnessed by President Hakainde Hichilema at the first-ever Invest Zambia International Conference in Lusaka in July 2025. The project is in alignment with the Zambian Government’s goal of universal access to electricity for all Zambians.
“This is about more than infrastructure, it is about regional integration, jobs, and powering a better future for Zambians along the Lobito economic corridor,” said ZESCO Managing Director Eng. Justin Loongo. “We are excited to partner with Anzana who is employing an innovative and inclusive approach to attract capital and rapidly increase electrification rates in rural Zambia.”
Improving reliability of supply in Zambia
The agreement enables not only significant investment in electrifying households, businesses, and industry, but also in new distributed generation to support the reliability of supply in the service area.
“The strategic Lobito economic corridor approach is a model for future regional trade and development,” said Brian Kelly, CEO of Anzana.
“We are honored to partner with ZESCO and the Government of Zambia to be the Lobito electrification partner and connect millions of Zambians to the opportunities that reliable electricity can enable. This partnership builds on Anzana’s deep experience in the region, including our development of Weza Power in Burundi, and reflects our commitment to win-win partnerships enabling African countries to lead the next wave of electrification and economic growth,” added Kelly.
The collaboration between ZESCO and Anzana will support new electricity generation, including run-of-river hydropower, and electricity distribution primarily in rural areas, efforts which are critical to unlocking the full potential of the Lobito Corridor to the Zambian economy. The Angola-Zambia-DRC corridor is being developed as a major economic artery for Southern and Central Africa, enhancing trade flow between these mineral-rich regions and global export markets.
The agreement envisions that Anzana will lead the development of a pilot project in the North-Western Province of Zambia intended to accelerate the first connections in 2026. Anzana and other development partners will jointly invest US$50 million to enable approximately 40,000 new household and business connections and add up to 8 megawatts of new generation over the course of two years, before expanding the scope to encompass the entire Lobito Corridor region.
