The Board of Directors of WeLight is pleased to announce the appointment of Romain de Villeneuve as Chief Executive Officer of the Company, with immediate effect.
WeLight, a company founded by our Axian Group, Norfund and Sagecom, provides access to clean, reliable and affordable renewable energy to un-electrified villages in sub-saharan Africa.
Romain brings to the position 22 years of wide knowledge and valuable experience in the areas of telecommunications, services, renewable power and FMCG, having held positions in corporate finance, general management and business development on large scale projects in emerging markets.
Romain holds a Master’s degree of Science in Management from the Institut Supérieur de Gestion (Paris) and an executive programme from E-M Lyon and Cranfield University in the UK.
Romain and his team’s mission will be, among other contributions, to build the growth, positioning and sustainability of WeLight, while pursuing a clear vision for change and value creation in Africa.
Romain has demonstrated throughout his career the ability to work successfully in different environments, designing and leading strategies which resulted in impressive value creation.

Except for Tunisia entering the Top 10 at Libya’s expense, and Morocco moving up to sixth ahead of A...
Circular migration is based on structured, value-added mobility between countries of origin and host...
Urban employment reached 53.7% in WAEMU in early 2025 Most jobs remain informal, low-paid, and in...
African startup M&A hits record 67 deals in 2025 Consolidation driven by funding pressures and ex...
CBE introduced CBE Connect in partnership with fintech StarPay. The platform enables cross-border...
Royal Air Maroc signed a deal with DAE to lease 13 Boeing 737-8 aircraft. Deliveries are scheduled for 2027 as part of the airline’s expansion...
Burkina Faso and Mali absorbed over 47% of Côte d’Ivoire’s palm oil exports in 2024. Côte d’Ivoire exported CFA90.1 billion of palm oil to the two...
Sonangol raised $750m via its debut international bond, a five-year private placement, marking a key step in Angola’s return to global debt...
Gold production rose 10% year on year, reaching 1.21 mln ounces in 2025. Lafigué delivered its first full year of output, offsetting declines at other...
The Khomani Cultural Landscape is a cultural site located in northern South Africa, in the Northern Cape province, near the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park....
Three African productions secured places among the 22 films competing for the Golden Bear at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival. Berlinale...