Online Reporter
Zimpapers Business Hub
THE African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has reaffirmed its commitment to channel financing into manufacturing, agro-processing, logistics and services that create real value.
Established in 1993, Afreximbank is dedicated to promoting and financing intra- and extra-African trade.
It stimulates expansion, diversification and development of African trade, while operating as a first-class, profit-oriented, socially responsible financial institution and centre of excellence in African trade matters.
At the end of June 2024, the bank’s total loans to West and North Africa accounted for 39,6 percent and 28,2 percent of its loan book, respectively, while Southern Africa, East Africa and Central Africa accounted for 15,7 percent, 12,3 percent and 3,2 percent, in that order.
Speaking at the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) 2025 Matabeleland Annual Business Awards (MABAs) held in Bulawayo recently, Afreximbank Southern Africa regional chief operating officer Mr Humphrey Nwugo said it was critical for African businesses to be productive.
“Afreximbank continues to channel financing into manufacturing, agro-processing, logistics and services that create real value. Through our Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA) and trade facilitation programmes, we are ensuring that African businesses not only survive but scale and become more efficient, competitive and productive in the process,” he said.
Through the Afreximbank Trade Facilitation Programme, he said, they have helped thousands of African businesses unlock working capital and secure trade finance, bridging the gap between ambition and execution.
Mr Nwugo said their African Collaborative Transit Guarantee Scheme was shortening turnaround times for cross-border cargo, making regional trade faster and cheaper, something particularly relevant for businesses in a land-linked country like Zimbabwe.
“Through FEDA, we are investing equity into businesses that are moving up the value chain, whether it’s agro-industries in West Africa, pharmaceuticals in North Africa or manufacturing hubs in Southern Africa,” he added.
“All these efforts are focused on one thing: unlocking the potential of African enterprise . . .”
The right policy environment, Mr Nwugo said, was not just helpful but essential, while Afreximbank continues to support member states in shaping policies that foster trade, industrialisation and value addition.
He said through the African Trade Gateway and the MANSA digital platform, they were enabling governments and regulators to access credible, standardised, due diligence information, reducing risk and increasing transparency in cross-border trade.
“The result? A better-regulated, better-governed trade ecosystem for African businesses. Afreximbank exists because we believe in working with Africa, not just for Africa,” he said.
“We are partnering with governments, chambers of commerce, regional blocs like SADC (Southern African Development Community) and COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa), and of course, with the private sector. Our flagship event, the Intra-African Trade Fair, is a living example of this.”
Mr Nwugo said they do not just build platforms for dialogue; they create marketplaces for deals, investments and innovation.
“Later this year, from the 4th to the 10th of September 2025, we will host the Intra-African Trade Fair in Algiers, Algeria, in partnership with the African Union Commission and the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat. This is the largest trade and investment platform on the continent, bringing together buyers, sellers, financiers, investors and government leaders under one roof.”
He said US$43,7 billion worth of trade and investment deals were concluded at the third edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair in November 2023 in Cairo, Egypt.
“I would love to see Matabeleland’s businesses, your crafts, your agri-products, your technologies, your services on display in Algiers, competing and collaborating with the best that Africa has to offer.”
Mr Nwugo said there is a market in Africa for all businesses, regardless of size.
“Ultimately, economic transformation is not something we wait for, it is something we build — one enterprise at a time, one innovation at a time and one partnership at a time. At Afreximbank, we are not just watching Africa’s story; we are helping to write it.”
Working with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the African Union (AU), Afreximbank has set up a US$10 billion adjustment fund to support countries effectively participating in AfCFTA.
At the end of December 2024, Afreximbank’s total assets and contingencies stood at over US$40,1 billion.
Its shareholder funds amounted to US$7,2 billion.
