Afreximbank, DBSA Launch Joint Facility to Prepare Southern Africa Projects
Afreximbank and DBSA establish a joint facility to advance bankable infrastructure and industrial projects.
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) have established a Joint Project Preparation Facility (JPPF) to advance bankable infrastructure and industrial projects across South Africa and the wider Southern African region.
Under the JPPF Framework Agreement, each institution can contribute up to US$10 million toward preparing high-impact, trade-enabling projects.
The facility will help projects overcome technical, financial and legal barriers before they seek major investment.
Facility Targets Strategic Development Projects
Afreximbank and DBSA will jointly identify, assess and prioritise projects through the JPPF. The institutions will also support technical, financial and legal work needed to bring projects to investment readiness.
Priority areas include power and energy, particularly energy-transition projects. Other sectors include transport and logistics, information and communication technology, strategic minerals beneficiation and other mutually agreed areas.
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The initiative will initially focus on South Africa and the wider Southern African region. However, the framework allows the partners to consider projects in other African countries of mutual strategic interest.
Partnership Supports Regional Integration
The agreement follows South Africa’s accession to the Afreximbank Establishment Agreement in February 2026. South Africa became the bank’s 54th member state during the accession process.
Afreximbank also announced an US$8 billion Country Programme for South Africa in February.
The new facility complements the Master Risk Participation Agreement that Afreximbank and DBSA signed in February. While that agreement focused on financing cooperation, the JPPF extends the partnership into project preparation.
The initiative also supports the objectives of South Africa’s National Development Plan 2030, regional SADC integration and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Leaders Highlight Project Preparation
Mrs Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank, signed the agreement on behalf of the bank. DBSA Chief Investment Officer Greg Fyfe signed for the development bank.
Awani said Africa needs more than capital to address its infrastructure gap. She highlighted the shortage of projects that meet investor and lender requirements.
By combining Afreximbank’s trade and industrialisation mandate with DBSA’s infrastructure expertise, the facility will help move projects from concept to investment readiness, she said.
Fyfe described the agreement as an important step toward expanding the pipeline of bankable infrastructure and industrial projects.
He said the partnership will combine the institutions’ complementary strengths, unlock investment opportunities and accelerate infrastructure delivery across the region.
JPPF to Connect Projects With Investors
Projects developed through the JPPF may seek subsequent financing from Afreximbank or DBSA. They may also be presented to private investors, development finance institutions and commercial lenders.
Each project will remain subject to separate appraisal and approval by potential financiers.
The two institutions will collaborate on project origination, preparation, knowledge-sharing and portfolio monitoring. The partnership aims to improve project bankability and accelerate the implementation of infrastructure, industrial and export-oriented initiatives across Southern Africa.
