Pan-African conglomerate Amsons Group has begun expanding aggressively into renewable energy across East Africa after securing a 600 million dollar power generation deal in Zambia.
The company’s managing director, Edha Nahdi, said Amsons is now exploring clean energy opportunities in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and several other sub-Saharan markets.
He noted that the group is shifting its strategy toward large-scale power generation and plans to use its strong regional presence to anchor this new focus.
Nahdi said this marks a significant change for the company, which has long been centred on manufacturing and petroleum distribution.
He explained that the move into renewable energy is part of a broader diversification plan aimed at positioning Amsons as a key player in Africa’s future energy landscape.
The Zambia agreement, regarded as one of the continent’s largest recent power deals, comes as Amsons continues to strengthen its control of Kenya’s cement industry.
Earlier this week, the group acquired an additional 27 per cent stake in East African Portland Cement from the National Social Security Fund, becoming the majority shareholder.
This follows its earlier purchase of a 29.2 per cent stake from Associated International Cement Limited and Cementia Holding AG.
Bamburi Cement holds about 12.5 per cent of East African Portland Cement’s shares, giving Amsons close to 70 per cent control of the company.
EAPC recently returned to profitability after nearly ten years of financial difficulties. Last year, Amsons also completed a 23.6 billion shilling takeover of Bamburi Cement.
The 1 gigawatt renewable energy deal in Zambia was witnessed by President Hakainde Hichilema, who praised the project for its scale and long-term impact on the country’s power supply. He said it aligns with his government’s commitment to efficiency and transparent investment.
Hichilema said, “This means an end to load shedding and a stable foundation for the massive economic growth we are pursuing.”
He added that Zambia is targeting more than 1,000 megawatts of new solar capacity, and this project places the country well ahead of schedule.
The president also highlighted that such foreign investments are essential to his goal of installing 10 gigawatts of new power generation capacity by 2030, while supporting the Mission 300 initiative to provide electricity to 300 million Africans.
Nahdi said Amsons Group and Africa Power Generation are proud to partner with Zambia on what he called a transformative milestone.
He said, “The project is not merely about generating electricity, but also creating sustainable jobs, building local capacity and contributing to a resilient energy system that will power homes, schools and industries for decades to come.”
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