The annual

African Banker

African

Banker

Awards

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African Banker Awards,
Celebrating excellence and best practices in African banking.

A landmark annual banking event

The African Banker Awards are designed to recognize the reforms, rapid modernisation, consolidation, integration and expansion of Africa's banking and financial system. The Awards Ceremony will be held in Nairobi, Kenya on the 28th May 2024.

2023 winners

Institutions

Bank of the Year

Afreximbank

Sustainable Bank of the Year

Nedbank, South Africa

DFI of the Year

Afreximbank

Fintech of the Year

MFS Africa, South Africa

SME Bank of the Year

Caisse de compensation et de consignation, Tunisia

People

Banker of the year

Ms Esther Kariuki - Co-operative Bank of Kenya

African Banker Icon

Miguel Azevedo, Citi

Lifetime Achievement

Mr. Hisham Ezz Al-Arab, Commercial International Bank

Central Bank Governor of the Year

Harvesh Seegolam, Bank of Mauritius

Minister of Finance of the Year

Hon. Enoch Godongwana, South Africa

Regional Banks

Regional Bank of the Year - North Africa

Bank of Africa

Regional Bank of the Year - East Africa

CRDB Bank

Regional Bank of the Year - Central Africa

Trust Merchant Bank

Regional Bank of the Year - West Africa

Vista Bank

Deals

Infrastructure deal of the Year

US$900m debt funding facility for Scatec Solar PV plus Battery Storage Project - Standard Bank

Deal of the Year - Debt

Harmony Gold Company syndicated multi-tranche, multi-currency, loan facility of US$400 million and R4 billion - Absa & Nedbank

Deal of the Year - Equity

US$298m Infinity Energy equity investment and Lekela Power acquisition - Africa Finance Corporation

Agriculture deal of the Year

US$78m funding facility for the Southern Oil Structured Commodity Finance Transaction - Absa

The awards sponsors

High Patron

Platinum Sponsor

Associate Sponsor

2023 Nominees

Banker of the Year

Mr Admassu Tadesse - Trade and Development Bank
Prof Benedict Oramah - Afreximbank
Ms Esther Kariuki - Co-operative Bank of Kenya
Mr Moezz Mir - SBM Bank, Kenya
Ms Mukwandi Chibesakunda - Zanaco, Zambia
Mr Othman Benjelloun - Bank of Africa
Ms Yemi Edun - First City Monument Bank

Bank of the Year

Afreximbank
Bank of Africa
Co-operative Bank of Kenya
CRDB Bank - Tanzania
The Mauritius Commercial Bank
Trade and Development Bank
Trust Merchant Bank, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Sustainable Bank of the Year

Absa, South Africa
Commercial International Bank, Egypt
Nedbank, South Africa
Rand Merchant Bank, South Africa
Trade and Development Bank

DFI of the Year

Afreximbank
Africa Finance Corporation
Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa: BADEA
Lesotho National Development Corporation
Trade and Development Bank

Fintech of the Year

Ensibuuko Technologies, Uganda
Flutterwave, Nigeria
JUMO World, South Africa
Lulalend, South Africa
MFS Africa, South Africa

SME Bank of the Year

Absa, South Africa
Caisse de dépôts et de consignations, Tunisia
CRDB Bank, Tanzania
Ecobank, Senegal
KCB Bank, Kenya

Deal of the Year - Debt

€174m ($190m) investment in the 44MW Singrobo-Ahouaty Project - Africa Finance Corporation
R1.143bn ($66.13m) gender-linked bond (“GLB”) issuance across 3-year and 5-year tranches for Barloworld Limited - Rand Merchant Bank
$564m equivalent private placement green bond issuance for GrowthPoint - Absa
Harmony Gold Company syndicated multi-tranche, multi-currency, loan facility of $400m and R4bn - Absa & Nedbank
Dual currency $292.4m, and E£1.9bn Syndicated Long Term Facility ($400m) to the Egyptian Chemical Industries Company (KIMA) - National Bank of Egypt

Deal of the Year - Equity

Advisory on the $2.5bn initial public offering (IPO) of ADNOC Gas - EFG Hermes
$47m investment in Africa Go Green - International Finance Corporation (IFC)
$298m Infinity Energy equity investment and Lekela Power acquisition - Africa Finance Corporation
R892m ($55m) acquisition of Windlab Africa's wind and solar assets I partnership with Seriti Resources - Rand Merchant Bank
R8.9bn ($550m) evergreen B-BBEE transaction for Shoprite - Rand Merchant Bank

Agriculture Deal of the Year

Launch of a first-of-its-kind AgriHarvest Platform - Rand Merchant Bank
$100m working capital trade finance facility to Export Trading Group (ETG) - Trade and Development Bank
E£8bn ($266m) Syndicated Long-Term Loan Facility for Evergrow - National Bank of Egypt & Banque Misr
Syndicated Long Term Facility $161m General Authority for Rehabilitation Projects & Agricultural Development (GARPAD) - National Bank of Egypt
$78m funding facility for the Southern Oil Structured Commodity Finance Transaction - Absa

Infrastructure Deal of the Year

$650m equivalent syndicated loan facility to EDF Renewable - Absa
$21.7m Corporate Sukuk issuance for Family Homes Fund - Greenwich Merchant Bank
$1bn 7-year Amortizing Term Loan in favour of a Special Purpose Vehicle (“SPV”) for NNPC Limited Project Yield - Afreximbank
$900m debt funding facility for Scatec Solar PV plus Battery Storage Project - Standard Bank

African Banker Awards hosts first AFAWA Bank of the Year Award

In partnership with the African Guarantee Fund and AfDB, AFAWA Bank of the Year Award will spotlight the banks advancing the financial inclusion of women across the continent. The nominees for the AFAWA Bank of the Year Award are:

Letshego Nigeria
Fin’ELLE
Rawbank
Letshego Uganda
Oiko Credit

About the awards

The African Banker Awards are a landmark annual event for African banking taking place during the annual meetings of the African Development Bank. Organised by African Banker magazine and IC Events in co-operation with BusinessinAfrica Events, the African Banker Awards celebrate excellence and best practices in African banking.

Recognising the 400 personalities and banks that are driving Africa's rapidly transforming financial sector, the African Banker Awards bring together industry leaders from Africa and the world. They celebrate the achievements of those who are driving growth and development and creating new economic opportunities for citizens and communities all over the continent and inspire new generations of bankers whoare shaping Africa's future.

28th May 2024

Nairobi, Kenya

The awards categories

African Banker of the Year

Through their leadership and vision, the winner will have overseen strong financial performance within their organisation and will have successfully guided their institution to new heights in the industry.

African Bank of the Year

This award goes to the bank in Africa that has demonstrated a high performance across various metrics. It will have 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.

DFI of the Year

This award goes to the Development Financial Institution which has demonstrated a high performance across various metrics, both qualitative and quantitative. It will have supported clients, projects and delivered high impact during these unprecedented times. It will also have considerably changed the development finance landscape by investing in impact-led projects and contributed to the sustainable economic development of the continent.

Regional Bank of the year

This award goes to a bank operating either across a specific region or in one country within a region (North, East, South, West or Central Africa). The winner will have excelled in the banking industry in its region 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 contributing to a stronger financial sector.

Infrastructure Deal of the Year

This will be awarded for the deal which has had the most significant impact. The committee will take into consideration the complexity of the deal, its size, its structure, and the groundbreaking role it may have played (i.e., 'replicability'). The deal may provide a template for such future transactions and will have highlighted new possibilities and new solutions within the sector or industry it relates to.

Agriculture Deal of the Year

This will be awarded for the deal which has had the most significant impact. The committee will take into consideration the complexity of the deal, its size, its structure, and the groundbreaking role it may have played. The deal may provide a template for such future transactions and will have highlighted new possibilities and new solutions within the sector/industry it relates to.

Deal of the Year - Debt

This winning deal may provide a template for such future transactions and will have highlighted new opportunities and raised country sector or regional investment profiles or some other innovation in debt deal financing within Africa.

Deal of the Year - Equity

The winning deal will have highlighted new opportunities and raised sector or regional investment profiles. The judges will consider the size, complexity, and impact in terms of changing perceptions of Africa as a place to do business.

FinTech of the Year Award

This award goes to the FinTech that has brought the most innovative practices to the financial services industry. The winner will have demonstrated the original and efficient use of technology and/or innovative practices to provide: new, evolving business models; high quality and affordable products and services; faster and more inclusive access to financial services for customers; improved security and reliability of transaction services.

Sustainable Bank of the Year

The panel of judges will be seeking concrete examples of projects and initiatives within the institutions that have had a sustainable impact on the communities they are geared towards. The award is aimed at companies that go beyond the philanthropic use of funds to use their overall knowledge, resources, and reputation to improve the lives of the less advantaged in society.

SME Bank of the Year

This award goes to the bank in Africa which has significantly contributed to the development of the SME sector, thus helping contribute to building the economic backbone of the continent. It will have considerably catalyzed funding into the private sector in Africa and promoted enterprise development by facilitating credit and access to finance for SMEs. They will have done so by expanding SME-focused lines of credit, providing technical assistance to SME development institutions, and built SMEs’ capacity via linkage programs with private sector investment.

Lifetime Achievement Award

This award goes to an African banker who throughout his or her career has worked tirelessly to strengthen and promote banking as well as the role of the financial services sector on the African continent. The winner of this category will be chosen by the Awards Committee

Finance Minister of the Year

This award goes to the African minister of finance who has carried through prudent macroeconomic policies and, through reforms and his or her actions, has shown skill and dexterity to create the conditions of an appealing investment climate. The winner of this category will be chosen by the Awards Committee

African Banker Icon

The ‘Icon’ category is awarded to an individual or institution for their outstanding contribution in the field of business, banking, and finance. They are chosen by the awards committee, who will have noted excellence in their area of expertise and for their work in helping to change the perception of Africa as well as contributing to the establishment of best global practice in the continent. This award in the past has been given to outstanding individuals such as Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who needs no introduction, Adebayo Ogunlesi, one of Wall Street’s most eminent financiers, and Eleni Gabre-Madhin, founder of the Ethiopian Commodities Exchange.

Central Bank Governor of the Year

This award goes to the central bank governor who has successfully reformed and transformed the financial sector, through proper regulation and policies, as well as created a stable and predictable environment for investment and growth.

AFAWA Bank of the Year

This award goes to the bank that has greatly incorporated the development and growth of Women Small and Medium size enterprises as an integral part of their SME Strategy. The winner will have demonstrated high performance across different metrics.