Africa Banker magazine has announced the shortlist of candidates for this year’s Africa Banking Awards.
Since its inception in 2007, the Africa Bank Awards have aimed to recognize outstanding individuals and organizations driving the transforming financial services industry in Africa.
The winners of the Africa Bank Awards will be announced during an official gala dinner to be held on 24 May in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, as part of the official program of the Annual Meeting of the African Development Bank. The 2023 edition of the Africa Bank Awards is organized by Africa Bank Events and IC. The ceremony will be sponsored at a platinum level by the Africa Guarantee Fund (AGF) and at an associate level by the Bank for Trade and Development (TDB) and the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations of Tunisia, which manages a Big project to support start-up-up.-up. and small and medium enterprises.
This year’s awards gala is set to highlight the theme of gender equality in the industry, as evidenced by the large percentage of female candidates vying for the coveted Banker of the Year title. In addition, in partnership with the African Guarantee Fund, a fresh accolade has been instituted to acknowledge and encourage initiatives aimed at propelling financial inclusivity for women across the African continent, the AFAWA Bank of the Year award. AFAWA (Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa) is a pan-African initiative to bridge the $42 billion financing gap facing women in Africa.
The African Banker Awards nominees were selected from a record number of entries, representing the entirety of the African continent, over a total of 10 categories, and shortlisted by the Awards committee. The nominees for the African Banker Awards 2023 are: Banker of the Year: Mr Admassu Tadesse – Trade and Development Bank Prof Benedict Oramah – Afreximbank Ms Esther Kariuki – Co-operative Bank of Kenya Mr Moezz Mir – SBM Bank, Kenya Ms Mukwandi Chibesakunda – Zanaco, Zambia Mr Othman Benjelloun – Bank of Africa Ms Yemi Edun – First City Monument Bank Bank of the Year: Afreximbank Bank of Africa Co-operative Bank of Kenya CRDB Bank – Tanzania The Mauritius Commercial Bank Trade and Development Bank Trust Merchant Bank, Democratic Republic of the Congo Sustainable Bank of the Year: Absa, South Africa Commercial International Bank, Egypt Nedbank, South Africa Rand Merchant Bank, South Africa Trade and Development Bank DFI of the Year:
Afreximbank Africa Finance Corporation Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa: BADEA Lesotho National Development Corporation Trade and Development Bank Fintech of the Year: Ensibuuko Technologies, Uganda Flutterwave, Nigeria JUMO World, South Africa Lulalend, South Africa MFS Africa, South Africa SME Bank of the Year: Absa, South Africa Caisse de compensation et de consignation, Tunisia CRDB Bank, Tanzania Ecobank, Senegal KCB Bank, Kenya Deal of the Year – Debt: €174m ($190m) investment in the 44MW Singrobo-Ahouaty Project – Africa Finance Corporation R1.143bn ($66.13m) gender-linked bond (“GLB”) issuance across 3-year and 5-year tranches for Barloworld Limited – Rand Merchant Bank $564m equivalent private placement green bond issuance for GrowthPoint – Absa Harmony Gold Company syndicated multi-tranche, multi-currency, loan facility of $400m and R4bn – Absa & Nedbank Dual currency $292.4m, and E£1.9bn Syndicated Long Term Facility ($400m) to the Egyptian Chemical Industries Company (KIMA) – National Bank of Egypt Deal of the Year – Equity:
Advisory on the $2.5bn initial public offering (IPO) of ADNOC Gas – EFG Hermes $47m investment in Africa Go Green – International Finance Corporation (IFC) $298m Infinity Energy equity investment and Lekela Power acquisition – Africa Finance Corporation R892m ($55m) acquisition of Windlab Africa`s wind and solar assets I partnership with Seriti Resources – Rand Merchant Bank R8.9bn ($550m) evergreen B-BBEE transaction for Shoprite – Rand Merchant Bank Agriculture deal of the Year: Launch of a first-of-its-kind AgriHarvest Platform – Rand Merchant Bank $100m working capital trade finance facility to Export Trading Group (ETG) – Trade and Development Bank E£8bn ($266m) Syndicated Long-Term Loan Facility for Evergrow – Banque Misr Syndicated
Long Term Facility $161m General Authority for Rehabilitation Projects & Agricultural Development (GARPAD) – National Bank of Egypt $78m funding facility for the Southern Oil Structured Commodity Finance Transaction – Absa Infrastructure deal of the Year: $650m equivalent syndicated loan facility to EDF Renewable – Absa $21.7m Corporate Sukuk issuance for Family Homes Fund – Greenwich Merchant Bank $1bn 7-year Amortizing Term Loan in favour of a Special Purpose Vehicle (“SPV”) for NNPC Limited Project Yield – Afreximbank $900m debt funding facility for Scatec Solar PV plus Battery Storage Project – Standard Bank $310m debt package for the Sports and Roads Infrastructure Kigali – Trade and Development Bank African Banker Awards hosts first AFAWA Bank of the Year Award In partnership with the African Guarantee Fund, AFAWA Bank of the Year Award will spotlight the banks advancing the financial inclusion of women across the continent. The nominees for the AFAWA Bank of the Year Award are: Letshego Nigeria Fin`ELLE; Rawbank Letshego Uganda Oiko Credit
For more information on the African Banker Awards or details on how to attend the official awards ceremony, visit www.africanbankerawards.com.
