Absa has successfully secured a $150 million facility from British International Investment (BII) PLC as part of its mission to help close the trade finance gap in Africa. BII (formerly known as CDC) is a UK-based Development Finance Institution (DFI) focused on investing patient capital to foster productive, sustainable, and inclusive economies. Absa, as the borrower in this transaction, will utilise the funds to support this objective, with a specific focus on the African continent.
Names from left to right are:
- Nick O’Donohoe, CEO, BII
- Anneliese Dodds, UK Minister for Development
- Charles Russon, Interim Group CEO, Absa Group
“Our unyielding commitment to the success of the continent continues to drive us to find solutions to serve our customers in a meaningful and sustainable way,” said Mosa Tshabalala, Head of FI Trade Sales (International), Risk Distribution, and Syndication at Absa CIB. “Our role as a Pan-African bank is to channel the funds to reach our client base across our chosen markets. We continue to forge partnerships with DFIs, insurance companies, other commercial banks (locally, regionally, and globally), ECAs, and institutional investors to drive market access and provide the funding necessary to support our customers’ growth ambitions.”
Africa’s trade finance gap is estimated to be between $100 billion and $120 billion. By partnering with BII, Absa is making strides in advancing the efforts of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, which aims, among other objectives, to reduce the continent’s trade finance gap. In addition, this transaction enables Absa to extend liquidity to clients across various geographies and trade product sets that are in high demand.
These funds are ringfenced for financing trade transactions, with a focus on sustainable funding. This includes, but is not limited to, supporting small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) founded by youth and women engaged in intra-African and global trade. This aligns with Absa’s goal of concluding R100 billion in sustainability-related transactions by 2025.
“Our extensive presence across the continent, combined with our global reach, enables us to facilitate the flow of capital and trade finance that African businesses need to scale and grow. By leveraging our cross-border expertise and strategic partnerships, we are driving sustainable growth and creating new opportunities in emerging markets, contributing to the broader development of Africa’s economic ecosystem,” said Charles Russon, Interim Group Chief Executive Officer at Absa Group.
Absa’s long-standing partnership with BII reflects the depth of their relationship and shared vision for driving growth in emerging markets. Since 2019, the partnership has provided much-needed trade liquidity in countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Mozambique – supporting over $1 billion in trade volumes, including over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, which severely strained trade liquidity in Africa.
About Absa Group Limited
Absa Group Limited (“Absa Group”) is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and is one of Africa’s largest diversified financial services groups.
Absa Group offers an integrated set of products and services across personal and business banking, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management and insurance.
Absa Group owns majority stakes in banks in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania (Absa Bank Tanzania and National Bank of Commerce), Uganda and Zambia and has insurance operations in Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia. Absa also has representative offices in China, Namibia, Nigeria and the United States, as well as securities entities in the United Kingdom and the United States, along with technology support colleagues in the Czech Republic.