Mini-grids in Madagascar
Sub-Saharan Africa
Four mini-grids in southwest Madagascar, serving over 20,000 people
Madagascar remains one of the least electrified countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, with only 36% of its population having access to electricity in 2024 (World Bank). We own four operating mini-grids in partnership with ANKA Madagascar, with 13 more under construction across 39 villages.
The towns we connect already have active local economies built around fishing, agriculture and tourism, but sit too far from the central grid for extending the wires to be commercially viable. The US$20 million partnership is expected to bring electricity to over 62,000 people at full scale.
Where the sites are
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Aimé has worked in rice processing for nearly 20 years. After adopting an electric machine supplied by ANKA and powered by the mini-grid, he reports weekly profits rising from 450,000 to 800,000 Malagasy ariary, an increase of about 78%.
“Since we started using ANKA [electricity], our operations run smoothly. We have even gained new clients.”
Catherine has run her grocery store for ten years. Before connecting to the mini-grid, limited battery power forced her to close at dark. Electricity now lets her stay open into the evening and sell refrigerated products.
“Customers no longer have to travel far. They can buy everything here. Before, they had to go elsewhere to find frozen products. Now that we can offer them, our profits have increased.”
How this project is run
The acquisition marked the first exit for early-stage investors from an operational mini-grid platform in Madagascar, demonstrating how investors can realize returns from operating mini-grid assets.
- ANKA Madagascar develops, builds and operates. They have been doing this here since 2014
- CrossBoundary Access funds construction and owns the assets
Two standard agreements govern the partnership: one for development and one for operations. Our Operating Services Agreement template is available on Open Source.
What's next
A clear roadmap lays ahead of us.
