Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the continent’s leading infrastructure solutions provider, has published its annual Development Impact Report (DIR), which reflected the development finance institution’s cumulative development interventions in African economies.
The just published report indicated that AFC-backed projects had to date added over $50 billion to GDP and supported the creation of 7 million jobs across 36 countries.
In addition, the DIR report also highlighted the establishment of the continent’s largest and fastest-growing renewable energy platform, Infinity Power, now delivering 1.4GW of clean electricity, and on track to reach 3GW by 2030 – a clear marker of AFC’s leadership in Africa’s energy transition.
Commenting on the corporation’s interventions in the various SSA’s countries, AFC President/CEO, Samaila Zubairu, said: “This report is a record of the tangible, large-scale impact we’ve always aimed for—driven by disciplined capital, strategic partnerships, and a focus on outcomes that matter.
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. “From clean energy to industrial ecosystems and regional rail links, AFC’s investments are transforming challenges into opportunities and unlocking Africa’s potential at scale”, he added.
A cursory appraisal of the report showed that it tracked the AFC’s funding outcomes across 166 projects, drawing from over 250,000 data points validated by a rigorous methodology.
According to the DIR, AFC’s development model, grounded in its Theory of Change, prioritizes four pillars, namely industrialization, energy transition, regional integration, and digital inclusion.
Also, the key cumulative metrics include $14 billion in capital mobilized; 4.1 million homes connected to electricity; and 8.8 million tons of CO₂ emissions avoided annually
The report also detailed the corporation’s broad social outcomes, including inclusive employment across gender and age, among significant community-level impacts. For example, AFC investments in Gabon’s ARISE Industrial Platform resulted in 42% female workforce participation. Women are employed across manufacturing, services and off-grid energy sectors, advancing gender equity in traditionally male-dominated industries.
Similarly, the corporation’s Digital inclusion initiatives like M-KOPA, a pay-as-you-go mobile and solar energy finance platform, empowered 1.7 million first-time mobile internet users, while investments in providers like MTN and Airtel have connected over 100 million people to mobile and broadband services.
The AFC’s model links strategic project development with exit discipline, crowding in private capital once projects are commercially viable. The report highlights notable investment outcomes, including Infinity Power/Lekela acquisition – now Africa’s largest renewable platform, with large-scale wind and solar operations spanning Egypt, Senegal, and South Africa; and The Red Sea Power project – setting Djibouti on course to become the first African nation powered entirely by renewable energy.
Others are, the Lobito Rail Corridor – linking Angola, DRC and Zambia to shorten export timelines from 45 to 7 days, cut 300,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually, and unlock trade routes for minerals critical to the global energy transition; Takoradi Port exit (Ghana) – a demonstration of transition to private capital, preserving impact and redeploying funds; and Kamoa-Kakula – the world’s lowest-emission copper mine, contributing 6% to DRC’s GDP
The report’s data is aligned with international benchmarks, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), GIIN IRIS+ and the Joint Impact Model (JIM)
Development experts believe that as global demand grows for sustainable, high‑yield investments, AFC’s blended finance model offers a replicable approach to accelerating Africa’s infrastructure development.
To consolidate on its achievements, the AFC urged all its partners – governments, investors, and development institutions – to collaborate in scaling proven models that drive structural transformation, climate resilience, and inclusive growth in the continent.
