For a company that is racking in deals all over the world like nobody’s business, it is refreshing to reflect that drone logistics company Zipline has not forgotten its Rwandan roots.
Of course, we know the company is as American as it gets – a $150-million pay-for-performance award from the Department of State last November will go a long way to confirming – but the very first commercial flight Zipline made in December 2016 was in Rwanda. It contained sachets of blood that saved a two-year-old malaria patient’s life.
Fast-forward to nine years later, Zipline has spread its reach to several countries in Africa, even scoring significant deals back in the USA after they perfected their flying art and proved that delivery drones can work. In Africa.
But they have not forgotten Rwanda.
This, after the Government of Rwanda has confirmed the signing of a historic expansion agreement with Zipline, which will see the east African country becoming the first with full nationwide autonomous logistics coverage – including Zipline’s urban delivery system – and the first country in Africa with an autonomous delivery testing center.
“Rwanda and Zipline have been working together for years to harness technology for the good of our people,” said Honorable Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT and Innovation, Republic of Rwanda.
“We have witnessed the extraordinary impact of drone delivery — saving time, saving money, and saving lives. With this partnership, we will now expand to urban delivery, bringing these benefits to even more communities.
“We thank the U.S. Government for supporting Zipline’s expansion and for joining us in building the foundation for Africa’s future in healthcare and innovation.”
In thanking the US government, Ingabire was referring to the landmark deal that Zipline scored with the Department of State, in which the drone company received $150million to expand its life-saving drone delivery service across Africa.
According to Zipline, at full scale the partnership could triple the number of hospitals and health facilities Zipline serves (from 5,000 to 15,000) and provide up to 130 million people with instant access to blood and medications.
Zipline will receive up to $150 million to expand its AI and robotics infrastructure that enables African governments to provide 24/7 delivery of essential medical supplies to hospitals and health facilities.
As buyers of the service African countries will pay up to $400 million in utilization fees. Funding will be released only when governments sign expansion contracts and commit to pay for ongoing logistics services to ensure long-term sustainability.
In Rwanda, Zipline says the expansion will reinforce the country’s status as a global leader in AI, robotics, and autonomous logistics, delivering cost-effective, life-saving healthcare for millions.
Rwanda will also be the first in Africa to introduce Zipline’s urban delivery system, Platform 2 (P2), enabling ultra-fast, quiet and precise deliveries in dense urban environments such as Kigali, where approximately 40 percent of the country’s healthcare demand is concentrated.
The P2 is currently used to deliver 100,000 retail and food items in the United States with dinner plate accuracy to homes, office buildings, hotels, and public spaces.
“In 2016, Rwanda made a decision that changed health access forever,” said Caitlin Burton, CEO, Zipline Africa.
“Rwanda did not ask whether it had been done before. It asked whether it could work and whether it could save lives. They tested it, measured it, and when the data proved the impact, they scaled it.
“Today, Rwanda is doing it again. This is a global first — not because the technology exists, but because the leadership exists. That leadership is why the US Government is backing Rwanda’s expansion, and why Zipline is investing beyond our contract in research, technology, and high-skill jobs here in Rwanda. This partnership is setting a new global standard for how innovation should be deployed.”
Rwanda will also add a new long-range distribution center in Karongi District, complementing Zipline’s existing hubs in Muhanga and Kayonza. This third site will expand delivery capacity to districts beyond the Nyungwe Forest, including those bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The new hub is built on the border between Rwanda and the DRC, a symbol of peace between the two countries. Within Rwanda, the Karongi hub is expected to serve approximately 200 health posts and 60 major health facilities, reaching more than 2.9 million people. With this expansion, Zipline’s nationwide network in Rwanda will cover over 11 million people and support ~350 local jobs.
“Rwanda pioneered autonomous logistics for the world, proving it to be more reliable, more responsive, and less wasteful than traditional logistics systems,” Pierre Kayitana, Country Director, Zipline Rwanda. With the addition of a third hub in Karongi District and service in Kigali soon, Rwanda is creating a single, seamless system that serves all Rwandans equally.”
The US government will provide upfront infrastructure funding to Zipline to enable the scale-up and the government of Rwanda has committed to paying for ongoing operations.
Zipline will also establish a new AI and robotics testing facility in Rwanda — the company’s first overseas research and development hub. The facility will support testing of aircraft performance, new safety systems, and next-generation logistics software.
The testing centre in Rwanda will play a critical role in developing local talent and improving the performance of our aircraft and software in a variety of different climates and weather conditions, ensuring that technology built for the world is also built by the world.
“To date, Zipline’s autonomous delivery network has enabled on-demand access to blood, vaccines, and essential medicines,” the company says.
!The system reduces waste, equalises access, boosts economies, and improves health outcomes, including a 51 percent reduction in maternal deaths.
“All Zipline delivery and logistics data from operations in the country integrates into Rwanda’s national health information and emergency response systems, strengthening real-time visibility, outbreak detection, and coordinated emergency response. “This capability supports Africa CDC’s vision of resilient, technology-driven, and equitable health systems, strengthening early-warning capacity, so countries can respond faster and ensure essential services reach every community.
“Rwanda is demonstrating that autonomous delivery works at national scale, in real-world conditions, as part of a government-led system. That lesson matters far beyond Rwanda as African governments seek to solve intractable health challenges once and for all.”