Nairobi/ Luxembourg, 21 February 2023 – Investment by business across Africa most impacted by trade and supply chain challenges will be supported by a new targeted financing initiative backed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB).
EIB, through its new dedicated development finance arm EIB Global, today formally agreed to provide a trade finance facility of USD 200 million to TDB to this effect. This amount is expected to support USD 400 million in new private sector investment, including by companies from across all sectors including agri-food and manufacturing which have been impacted by the disruption of trade flows following the Russo-Ukrainian crisis and COVID-19 pandemic.
The new credit line is expected to provide working capital, supply chain finance, and investment loans to microenterprises, SMEs and midcap companies across the region served by TDB, including by supporting financing through local financial intermediaries.
The largest ever cooperation between the EIB and TDB and for EIB private sector support in Africa was signed at the EU-Kenya Business Forum in Nairobi by Thomas Östros, EIB Vice President and Admassu Tadesse, TDB Group President Emeritus and Managing Director.
“The European Investment Bank supports targeted private sector investment across Africa. The largest ever cooperation between the EIB and TDB confirmed today will unlock USD 400 million of new investment by companies most impacted by trade shocks triggered by the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and ongoing disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses and entrepreneurs across the region served by TDB will be able to access working capital, supply chain financing and investment loans from today” said Thomas Östros, European Investment Bank Vice President.
“Over the last decade we have worked together with EIB to ensure that business across the region can access finance, while supporting SMEs and climate action, and backing investment in fragile contexts. Today’s trade finance-focused credit line will be available both directly from TDB as well as through our local financial partners, and will help to address business investment challenges hampering growth and job creation. TDB plays a critical role addressing the trade finance gap and supply chain disruptions in the region, and in addition to the above, this credit line will enhance our ability to foster inter and intra-regional trade and regional integration, in line with our mandate” said Admassu Tadesse, TDB Group President Emeritus and Managing Director.
“The European Union is committed to private sector development in Africa. The new cooperation between EIB Global and TDB confirmed at the EU-Kenya Business Forum in Nairobi today will foster cross-border trade, enable agri-food companies to replace wheat imports and accelerate skilled job creation in the years ahead” said H.E. Henriette Geiger, European Union Ambassador to Kenya.
The new cooperation represents the largest business financing cooperation between the EIB, the world’s largest international public bank owned by the 27 European Union member states, and TDB, owned by 45 sovereign and institutional shareholders from Africa and beyond. With this facility, over the last decade the EIB has provided close to half a billion USD for targeted business financing managed by TDB, including through this facility.
About TDB
Established in 1985, the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) is a regional development finance institution, with investment grade ratings and assets of USD 8bn. TDB serves 23 member states in its region, with the mandate to finance and foster trade, regional economic integration and sustainable development, through trade finance, project and infrastructure finance and asset management.
TDB is part of TDB Group, which also comprises the Trade and Development Fund (TDF), Eastern and Southern African Trade Advisers Limited (ESATAL), TDB Captive Insurance (TCI), and the TDB Academy.
www.tdbgroup.org
European Investment Bank (EIB)
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals.
EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm dedicated to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance. EIB Global is designed to foster strong, focused partnership within Team Europe, alongside fellow development finance institutions, and civil society. EIB Global brings the Group closer to local people, companies and institutions through our offices across the world.
Media Contacts
Anne-Marie Iskandar, Senior Communications Officer
Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations
Trade and Development Bank
Anne-Marie.Iskandar@tdbgroup.org
Richard Willis, Press Officer
The European Investment Bank
tel.: +352 43 79 82155/ Mobile: +352 621 55 57 58
Press Office: +352 4379 21000
r.willis@eib.org
press@eib.org
www.eib.org/press
