Afreximbank Reaffirms Energy Financing Leadership at Africa Energy Week
At the Africa Energy Week in Cape Town, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) reaffirmed its role as a leading financier of Africa’s energy sector, highlighting its commitment to both immediate energy needs and long-term transition opportunities.
In a fireside chat moderated by journalist Tsepiso Makwetla, Haytham ElMaayergi, Executive Vice President of Global Trade Bank, stressed the importance of viewing Africa’s energy as a fully integrated value chain—covering upstream, midstream, downstream, traders, financiers, and transition financing—all requiring balanced investment.
He emphasised Afreximbank’s role as a “one-stop shop”, supporting projects from feasibility studies to syndications, providing trade finance, and offering risk guarantees to mobilise private capital and make projects bankable.
In a separate session on “Reducing Barriers to Entry in African Energy Investments,” Helen Brume, Director and Global Head of Project & Asset-Based Finance, identified the Africa Energy Bank (AEB) as one of the most transformative initiatives for the sector.
She explained that the AEB would enable African countries to unlock their 13% share of global gas reserves, accelerate renewable energy growth, and address the continent’s $31–50 billion annual energy financing gap.
Afreximbank currently holds a $34 billion portfolio in the energy sector, including $3 billion in infrastructure, $300 million in renewables, and financing support for the Dangote Refinery, which has significantly boosted Africa’s refining capacity.
Brume added that financing sentiment is shifting towards a balanced approach, recognising natural gas as a transition fuel, with Afreximbank leading efforts to de-risk investment through instruments such as its Advisory & Project Preparation Facility, blended finance structures, the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), and FEDA equity investments.
These interventions reflect Afreximbank’s vision of bridging Africa’s energy financing gap, providing reliable and affordable power for the 600 million Africans still without electricity, and building resilient systems that reduce dependence on external financing.
From project preparation to large-scale financing, Afreximbank is laying the foundations for Africa’s energy independence.
