TDB IS HONOURED AS 2020’s ‘AFRICAN BANK OF THE YEAR’
Ebene/ Bujumbura, 27 August 2020 – This year’s winners of the African Banker Awards were announced, last night, during live-streamed celebrations, which were attended virtually – amidst the Covid-19 pandemic – by bankers and financial industry stakeholders from across Africa, and globally. It was at the end of the event that the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) was honored as this year’s ‘African Bank of the Year’ – marking the conclusion of the prestigious competition.
As described by the African Banker Awards, “this award goes to the bank in Africa that has demonstrated a high performance across various metrics. It is a bank that has considerably changed the banking landscape by reaching out to new customers, offering new services, adopting inclusiveness by bringing the unbanked into the banking space, making use of new technologies, and helping to drive growth through a stronger financial sector.”
Over the past few years, TDB has grown into a specialized mid-size regional financial powerhouse able to finance and co-finance larger-sized projects and trade transactions that drive real impact, while remaining agile enough to tailor bespoke solutions to its sovereign and corporate clients, and be among the most impactful and lean financial institutions in the market, delivering strong returns to its diversified shareholders.
Powered further by an expanding group of top-notch funding partners, TDB has managed to execute a string of flagship trade and project finance transactions which have played a critical role in getting new projects off the ground, lengthening various Member States’ debt yield curves, enhancing their resilience to external shocks, unlocking further economic development financing namely in infrastructure and agribusiness, addressing trade finance and forex shortages, supporting the security of supply of essential and strategic commodities, and boosting intra and inter-Africa trade.
In the past two years, the Bank has expanded its geographical footprint via a hybrid coverage-product operational model to deepen its sub-regional presence and amplified its reach via the launch of new products and business lines including supplier-focused working capital solutions in trade finance, advisory services for PPPs and ECA solutions, asset management, syndications, a TDB Academy, and a new trade finance fund. TDB has also stepped-up its market presence as a first point of call and served as mandated lead arranger for over USD 6 billion in large syndicated loans. Furthermore, the Bank has upgraded its technology processes, namely by becoming the first African DFI to complete a live end-to-end trade finance transaction via blockchain technology.
In line with its ambition to reach those who find it more difficult to access traditional banking services, TDB has provided new funding and risk-sharing facilities geared at the SME sector through a novel SME Programme to cater in particular to women and youth-led SMEs in six of its Member States, and has stepped-up its work with partner financial institutions in the region which have SMEs as their client base.
Mr. Juste Rwamabuga, Chairman of the Board of Directors said that “we are truly delighted to have been recognized as this year’s ‘African Bank of the Year’. With TDB’s consistent exceptional financial results and genuine development impact, the award is a tribute to TDB’s success in delivering on its promise of triple bottom-line returns for its shareholders, partners, clients, and ultimately, the peoples of the Member States the Bank serves.”
“Our heartfelt appreciation go to the African Bankers Awards and its Sponsors for this important accolade” expressed Admassu Tadesse, TDB President and Chief Executive, pointing out that “with stronger environmental and social management systems in place, half of the Bank’s portfolio now directly and indirectly contributes to SDGs, the African Union’s 2063 Agenda, and to the Paris Agreement.”
Joy Ntare, the Bank’s Chief Risk Officer, commented that: “thanks to the bold reforms undertaken in the Bank’s governance and organizational structure, the establishment of centers of excellence in risk management, treasury, human capital management and investor relations, the Bank has achieved investment grade ratings and attracted many new investors and partners”.
“TDB’s net profits, assets, equity, operating income, and portfolio size have multiplied several-fold over these years”, added Michael Awori, Chief Operating Officer. “And through it all, we are proud to be intentionally mainstreaming inclusiveness directly through our interventions and indirectly through the impact of these on end beneficiaries, particularly women, youth, and MSMEs” said Gloria Mamba, the Southern Africa Regional Executive. “We walk the talk”, she added, pointing out that “within our own institution, almost half of our workforce is female, with strong representation of women among our senior staff and management.”
TDB was also a finalist in two other categories this year, namely: ‘Deal of the Year – Debt’ for its Cable and Wireless Seychelles (CWS) leveraged buyout deal – the largest transaction to have been completed in the past decade in the country via which it indigenized the ownership of the country’s largest telecommunication player; and, an ‘Award for Innovation in Financial Services’ for TDB’s integration of blockchain technology in its trade finance transactions processes, which have made it possible to improve the carbon footprint, cost, speed, transparency, traceability, risk profile, reach and overall efficiency of its services.
The African Bankers Awards, now renowned as the Oscars of African banking, are organized on a yearly basis on the sidelines of the African Development Bank’s Annual Meetings. Alongside a notable group of winners and nominees, TDB is pleased to have distinguished itself again this year, for the value it has succeeded in adding to African banking landscape, and to the sustainable economic development of the continent.
About TDB
Established in 1985, the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) is a multilateral, treaty-based, investment-grade development financial institution, with assets of US$6.7bn. The Bank’s mandate is to finance and foster trade, regional economic integration and sustainable development through trade finance and project and infrastructure finance.
www.tdbgroup.org
Media contacts
Anne-Marie Iskandar, Senior Communications Officer
Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations
Trade and Development Bank
Anne-Marie.Iskandar@tdbgroup.org
