HARARE (FinX) – Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Africa’s leading infrastructure solutions provider, has achieved a landmark milestone by successfully raising a record US$2 billion syndicated loan. Originally launched at US$1.6 billion, the facility was upsized in response to robust demand, reflecting strong global investor support for AFC’s rapid expansion of integrated infrastructure and industrial platforms essential to Africa’s next phase of economic growth.
The syndication drew participation from banks spanning multiple regions, with contributions from Asia Pacific and Europe each accounting for 35%, the Middle East 25%, and Africa 5%, demonstrating wide-reaching international confidence in AFC’s unique investment model and long-term strategy. This financing strengthens AFC’s capacity to scale investments in critical sectors that drive trade, growth, and job creation across the continent.
The Corporation’s financial strength has been underpinned by progressively higher investment-grade credit ratings, including an ‘A’ / A-1 with a Positive Outlook assigned by S&P Global Ratings earlier this year, complementing its longstanding ratings from Moody’s and the Japan Credit Rating Agency. Samaila Zubairu, AFC’s President & CEO, emphasized that the continent’s future growth will be propelled not by isolated projects but by integrated infrastructure systems that connect energy, transport, logistics, industry, and technology sectors. He highlighted AFC’s strategic position at the core of Africa’s transformation, where infrastructure projects are converted into broader industrialization efforts, creating jobs and enhancing economic competitiveness.
Alongside this landmark transaction, AFC is expanding its footprint, recently announcing plans to open its first regional office outside Lagos, in Nairobi. The Corporation’s assets have surpassed a remarkable US$19 billion, and its membership now includes 48 African countries. This syndicated loan complements growing pools of African institutional funding and aligns with AFC’s mission—articulated in the forthcoming State of Africa’s Infrastructure Report 2026—to mobilize domestic pension capital for priority infrastructure development.
The debt facility was led by a consortium of renowned financial institutions including Barclays, Commerzbank, First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC, and FirstRand Bank through its Rand Merchant Bank division in London, acting as Global Coordinators and Initial Mandated Lead Arrangers. A broad group of Additional Initial Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners, as well as other leading lenders from around the world, further underscored AFC’s ability to attract diverse and substantial funding even amid a complex and volatile global economic environment.
Banji Fehintola, Executive Board Member and Head of Financial Services at AFC, noted that closing the corporation’s largest-ever syndicated loan is a defining achievement, reflecting unwavering confidence from lending partners in AFC’s credit strength, strategic importance, and execution capabilities. The strong backing from international financial institutions reaffirms sustained investor conviction in AFC’s mission to deliver transformative infrastructure and industrial projects with lasting economic impact across Africa.
This significant financing highlights AFC’s pivotal role in shaping Africa’s infrastructure landscape, setting a robust foundation for sustained industrial growth and economic development across the continent.
