While PPPs have also faced failures and controversies, several projects stand out as important examples of what collaboration between governments, private investors and development-finance institutions can achieve.

Public infrastructure plays a major role in economic development. Roads connect producers to markets, ports facilitate international trade, and reliable electricity allows businesses to operate and expand. Yet many African governments face significant financing and capacity constraints when developing large infrastructure projects.

This challenge has encouraged the growth of public-private partnerships, commonly known as PPPs. Under a PPP, a government works with private companies to finance, build, operate, maintain or manage an infrastructure project under an agreed contractual arrangement.

Africa’s PPP experience is mixed. Some projects have encountered political disputes, financial problems, weak contracts or public opposition. However, several partnerships have demonstrated that carefully structured agreements can deliver lasting infrastructure and economic benefits.

Here are some notable examples.

1. N4 Toll Route: South Africa and Mozambique

The N4 Toll Route linking South Africa and Mozambique is one of Africa’s most frequently cited PPP success stories.

The 630-kilometre corridor connects Pretoria and South Africa’s industrial heartland with Maputo, Mozambique’s major port. The project was structured as a 30-year concession involving the governments of South Africa and Mozambique and the private consortium Trans African Concessions (TRAC).

The road formed part of the wider Maputo Development Corridor. By connecting inland economic centres with a major seaport, the project strengthened regional trade and created a more efficient route to international markets.

The World Bank identifies several factors behind the project’s performance, including strong government commitment, detailed contractual arrangements, early risk identification and effective stakeholder management. The project also included local subcontracting and training requirements.

The N4 demonstrates an important feature of successful PPPs: the infrastructure must serve a clear economic purpose beyond the project itself.

2. Azito Power Project: Côte d’Ivoire

The Azito power project in Côte d’Ivoire demonstrates how PPPs can support national electricity supply.

The project began as a build-own-operate-transfer arrangement. The government awarded the concession to a private consortium, while international development institutions helped mobilise financing and manage investment risks. The initial project involved a gas-fired power plant, with subsequent expansions significantly increasing its capacity.

Azito has continued to expand over the years. Its Phase 4 expansion added approximately 253 MW of capacity and was designed to generate additional electricity while improving efficiency.

The partnership also shows the importance of development finance in African PPPs. IFC, the World Bank, MIGA and other institutions have provided financing, guarantees and technical support at different stages.

The broader lesson is that PPPs can attract private capital to sectors where investors might otherwise perceive significant political, financial or regulatory risks.

3. Dakar–Diamniadio Toll Highway: Senegal

Senegal’s Dakar–Diamniadio toll highway is another significant example of infrastructure delivered through public-private cooperation.

Before the project, traffic congestion had become a serious problem in Dakar. The government sought private-sector participation to help finance and maintain a new highway.

The structure required the private partner to contribute to construction costs and maintain the road in return for toll revenues, while the government provided part of the initial financing.

The highway opened in 2013 and recorded higher-than-expected use. According to the World Bank, it helped reduce congestion in Dakar and improve connections toward Diamniadio. However, the project also faced challenges, particularly concerning the relocation of people affected by construction.

That experience highlights an important lesson: infrastructure success cannot be measured only by construction and traffic figures. Social impacts must also receive serious attention.

4. Bujagali Hydropower Project: Uganda

Uganda’s Bujagali hydropower project provides another example from the energy sector.

The 250 MW project was developed on the Nile River through a build-own-operate-transfer arrangement. Bujagali Energy Limited was responsible for developing, constructing and maintaining the power plant, while electricity was sold to Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited under a 30-year power purchase agreement.

The project was commissioned in 2012 and became an important source of Uganda’s electricity supply. IFC records show that the project also included transmission infrastructure designed to connect the plant to the national grid.

Bujagali illustrates how long-term power purchase agreements can help make major energy projects bankable. They provide a framework for investors while giving governments access to infrastructure without carrying the entire upfront cost.

5. Lekki–Epe Expressway: Nigeria — An Important Lesson

Nigeria’s Lekki–Epe Expressway deserves mention, but with an important qualification.

The project attracted substantial private investment and demonstrated that private capital could be mobilised for major road infrastructure in Lagos. The concession gave the private partner responsibility for upgrading, maintaining and tolling the expressway.

However, the project eventually faced serious difficulties. Tolling generated public opposition, government decisions affected the concession’s financial assumptions, and negotiations between the parties continued for years. Lagos State ultimately bought out the private equity investors in 2014.

Therefore, Lekki–Epe is better understood as a valuable PPP case study rather than an uncomplicated success story.

Its experience demonstrates why governments and private investors must agree clearly on tariffs, compensation, political risks, traffic assumptions and mechanisms for resolving disputes before construction begins.

What Makes an African PPP Successful?

The examples above reveal several recurring factors.

Strong Government Commitment

Private investors need confidence that government will honour contracts and maintain a predictable regulatory environment.

The N4 project benefited from strong cooperation between South Africa and Mozambique, while Azito benefited from government reforms and continued institutional support.

Clear Risk Allocation

A PPP works best when each risk is assigned to the party most capable of managing it.

Construction risks, demand risks, currency risks, political risks and operational responsibilities should be clearly addressed in the contract.

Reliable Revenue Models

Private companies need a realistic way to recover their investment. This can come from tolls, government payments, power purchase agreements, availability payments or other mechanisms.

Poorly designed revenue arrangements can undermine an otherwise promising project.

Stakeholder Engagement

Infrastructure affects communities, businesses, motorists and consumers.

Senegal’s experience shows why governments must engage affected communities early. The Dakar–Diamniadio project eventually delivered major transport benefits, but resettlement issues created significant challenges.

Development-Finance Support

Large infrastructure projects in Africa can face risks that commercial investors are unwilling to take alone.

Institutions such as the World Bank, IFC, African Development Bank and other development-finance organisations can provide loans, guarantees, technical assistance and risk mitigation.

Azito provides a strong example. Development-finance institutions helped mobilise financing and reduce risks surrounding private investment.

The Future of PPPs in Africa

Africa’s infrastructure needs continue to create opportunities for PPPs in transportation, electricity, water, telecommunications, healthcare and urban development.

However, PPPs should not automatically be treated as a solution to every infrastructure problem. A partnership must make economic and social sense before a government chooses it.

Research on African transport PPPs has identified several important requirements, including transparent procurement, effective stakeholder management, strong regulatory institutions, participation by local investors and stable macroeconomic conditions.

The continent’s most useful PPP experiences therefore offer more than examples of private investment. They provide lessons about planning, accountability, risk sharing and long-term public value.

Conclusion

Africa’s most notable PPPs show that governments and private companies can work together to deliver major infrastructure.

The N4 Toll Route demonstrates the potential of cross-border infrastructure. Azito shows how private investment can strengthen electricity generation. Dakar–Diamniadio illustrates the potential of toll-road partnerships to address urban congestion. Bujagali demonstrates how long-term power agreements can support large-scale energy investment.

At the same time, projects such as Lekki–Epe remind policymakers that private financing alone does not guarantee success.

The strongest PPPs require clear contracts, credible institutions, realistic financial models, transparent procurement and meaningful engagement with the communities that use or live around the infrastructure.

For Africa, the real opportunity is therefore not simply to attract more private capital. It is to build better partnerships that deliver infrastructure capable of supporting businesses, communities and regional economic growth for decades to come.