Standard Chartered and IFC launch Africa supply chain facility
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Standard Chartered and the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank Group’s private-sector arm, on Wednesday announced a new risk-sharing facility aimed at strengthening supply chains and supporting business growth across Africa. The programme will cover up to $300 million in supply chain and trade finance assets originated by Standard Chartered in the region.
The facility will roll out supply chain finance solutions in eight markets: Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. It will target sectors including agriculture, healthcare and manufacturing.
Under the arrangement, IFC will provide guarantees of up to $150 million to support transactions in U.S. dollars and selected local currencies. The structure is meant to help suppliers receive faster payments and ease working-capital pressure.
Over the next three years, the partnership is expected to enable about $1.9 billion in supply chain finance transactions. The institutions said the initiative should support more than 500 suppliers across the continent.
The announcement comes as global demand for supply chain finance remains elevated and African businesses continue to face financing gaps. The deal also reflects growing interest in using risk-sharing structures to unlock liquidity for smaller companies linked to regional and global value chains.
