The board of the African Development Bank has approved $43.6 million for Mozambique and $10.12 million for Zimbabwe. The grants were approved from the African Development Fund, and are intended to boost sustainable agricultural production and strengthen rural resilience in drought-prone regions in Zimbabwe and to finance the construction of the Namaacha–Boane Transmission Line and related electricity infrastructure in Mozambique.
The financing for Mozambique includes $33.2 million directly from the African Development Fund and $10.4 million from the African Development Bank’s Climate Action window, which is a special fund created to assist as many as 37 African countries by providing them with infrastructure aimed at tackling climate change in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
While the grants will enable the nation of Zimbabwe through the Zimbabwe Agricultural Value Chain and Livelihoods Enhancement Project (AVCLEP) to optimize the production of sustainable crops and livestock, which will be a step forward in developing access to markets for agricultural products and also strengthen for micro SME’S the integration of the value chain. This project is expected to provide benefits for over 49,000 crop and livestock farmers in Zimbabwe. 
The Mozambique government will also be contributing to its project and which will be implemented through Mozambique’s national power utility, Electricidade de Moçambique, in partnership with the Central Eléctrica da Namaacha (CEN), the project company, a private sector company. The project is intended to finance infrastructure that can supply up to 332 gigawatt-hours of pure wind energy to residences and businesses throughout Mozambique and Southern Africa from the upcoming 120 MW Namaacha Wind Farm in the southwest of the nation.
This project makes a great working stride for Mozambique’s goals for transitioning to a low-carbon energy future, as the project will also feature two new 43-kilometre, single-circuit, 66-kilovolt transmission lines that will be constructed in addition to network upgrades and equipment to ensure stable power delivery.
The grant is also a welcome development for Zimbabwe, as well as 90,000 community members will indirectly benefit from improved water supply, veterinary services, and livelihoods programs, strengthening Zimbabwe’s rural communities. The project is set to begin in June 2025 and be completed in December 2025.
