Rwanda has signed an expanded agreement with US based drone logistics company Zipline to roll out nationwide autonomous medical delivery, deepening a partnership that began nearly a decade ago and positioning the country as a reference point for health logistics on the continent.
The deal follows a $150 million pay for performance award to Zipline from the US Department of State and marks the first time that funding has been activated through a national scale commitment.
As part of the agreement, Rwanda will extend Zipline’s services beyond rural supply routes to include urban deliveries, while also hosting Africa’s first autonomous delivery testing centre.
Zipline first launched operations in Rwanda in 2016, working closely with the government to deliver blood, vaccines, and essential medicines to remote health facilities. Since then, the partnership has gradually expanded, supported by data driven assessments of cost, speed, and health outcomes. That long running collaboration now underpins Rwanda’s move toward full national coverage.
Under the new phase, Zipline will deploy its Platform 2 urban delivery system in Kigali, where a large share of healthcare demand is concentrated. In addition, a new long range distribution hub will be built in Karongi District, complementing existing facilities in Muhanga and Kayonza.
The expansion is expected to extend coverage to more than 11 million people and support several hundred local jobs.
Financing for the scale up will combine upfront infrastructure support from the US government with ongoing operational payments from the Rwandan government, reflecting a shift away from donor led pilots toward nationally funded systems.
Zipline will also establish its first overseas research and development hub in Rwanda, focused on testing aircraft performance, safety systems, and logistics software.
For Rwanda, the agreement builds on a steady strategy of integrating technology into public health delivery. For Zipline, it offers a working model for how autonomous logistics can operate as core infrastructure in African health systems.