African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)has marked a significant milestone in infrastructure development in Africa with the signing of a landmark Joint Project Preparation Facility (JPPF) Facility Agreement with the Government of the Republic of South Africa.
The agreement was formalised during a ceremony on the margins of the just concluded Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) in Algiers, Algeria. It aims to expedite the preparation of vital infrastructure projects by the Government’s Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) Programme within the National Department of Public Works And Infrastructure.
The JPPF is designed to co-finance preparation and delivery of high-quality, bankable projects across several critical sectors, including energy, transport and logistics, and digital infrastructure. This transformative partnership is expected to unlock investments totalling to at least US$ 750 million, significantly contributing to the country’s economic development.
By combining Afreximbank’s financial expertise with strategic oversight of ISA, the partnership seeks to create a robust pipeline of bankable projects essential for closing South Africa’s infrastructure gap. This initiative is expected to stimulate industrialisation and attract both public and private sector investments.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Mr. Kenny Molong, Deputy Minister in the Presidency of South Africa, underscored the importance of this collaboration, stating: “The slow progression of project concepts into fully implemented projects often stems from insufficient vigour in the project preparation phase. This partnership with Afreximbank positions us to transform concepts into viable infrastructure projects that will attract private sector financing and deliver socio-economic benefits. Collaboration is key; no single nation or organisation has all the answers.”
Ms. Oluranti Doherty, Afreximbank’s Managing Director of Export Development expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating: “We are pleased to partner with Government of South Africa, a pivotal regional economic powerhouse, to address its infrastructure challenges. Our goal is to establish a cohesive and interconnected infrastructure ecosystem that will elevate South Africa’s competitiveness and spur economic development, extending benefits beyond its borders into the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region thereby promoting Intra-African trade and regional integration. Through this partnership, we aim to mobilise essential funding and technical expertise to de-risk projects at a critical stage in their development, enhancing the quality and speed of infrastructure delivery.”
Ms Doherty emphasised Afreximbank’s commitment to collaborating with government entities and welcomed the opportunity to partner with other governments to maximise the impact of this strategic intervention in Global Africa.
Ms Mameetse Masemola, Acting Head of Infrastructure South Africa welcomed this partnership as long overdue, she said: “This is a huge milestone for ISA that will go a long way in developing a credible infrastructure pipeline as mandated by H.E President Cyril Ramaphosa.”
The just ended IATF2025 was a huge success, exceeding all its initial projections. The event drew over 112,000 participants, both in person and virtually, and generated more than $48 billion in trade deals. It featured over 2,100 exhibitors and was attended by 20 Heads of State and Government representatives, along with several ministers and other senior government officials and leading businesspeople. It was hosted by the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria and organised by Afreximbank in partnership with the African Union Commission and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
Introduced in 2018, IATF is a platform for businesses to showcase their goods and services to visitors and buyers while exploring opportunities and exchanging information. It aims to tap into opportunities from AfCFTA’s single market of over 1.4 billion people and GDP of over US$3.5 trillion.
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