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 at the Marriott in Nairobi, Kenya on the 28th May 2024.

2024 Nominees

Banker of the Year

Mr Admassu Tadesse - Trade and Development Bank
Anel Bosman - Nedbank
Karim Awad - EFG Holding
Miriam Olusanya - Guaranty Trust Bank
Patricia Ojangole - Uganda Development Bank
Serge Ekue - Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement
Sidi Ould Tah - Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa

Bank of the Year

Afreximbank
Ecobank
KCB Group
Rawbank
Trade and Development Bank Group
Uganda Development Bank
United Bank for Africa

Sustainable Bank of the Year

Absa Bank
East African Development Bank
Ecobank
Nedbank CIB
Standard Bank Group
Trade and Development Bank Group

DFI of the Year

Afreximbank
Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement
East African Development Bank
Kenya Development Corporation
Trade and Development Bank Group

Fintech of the Year

EFG Hermes Holding Val
Flutterwave
Inclusivity Solutions
JUMO
ProfitShare Partners
Yabx Technologies

SME Bank of the Year

Co-operative Bank of Kenya
East African Development Bank
Ecobank
National Bank of Commerce
Uganda Development Bank Limited

Deal of the Year - Debt

2 tranches valued at TZS 212bn and USD 73mn respectively - Absa - NMB Bank - Absa Bank Ltd
$117 million The Globeleq Menengai Geothermal Power Project in Kenya - African Development Bank
$1.82bn Project KaMa - Africa Finance Corporation
$500m Brighter Life Securitization - African Frontier Capital
$16bn Ghana Debt Restructuring - Hogan Lovells
€774m Project Strada - UKEF backed loan to support FERA and the Republic of Senegal in its nation-wide road programme - MUFG Bank
$775m Foschini Group Syndicated Funding Package - Standard Bank

Deal of the Year - Equity

$500m Airtel Uganda IPO - Absa Bank
$100m BOAD Hybrid Bond - Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement
$145m Affirma Capital Limited's acquisition of Copperbelt Energy Corporation - Pangaea Securities
$1.1bn investment into Mopani Copper Mines plc by International Resources Holding RSC - Rothschild
$200 million Meridiam's acquisition of controlling stake in Kipeto - Standard Bank

Agriculture Deal of the Year

Volcafe Limited $80m East Africa Borrowing Base Facility - Absa Bank
Co-op Bank & Kenya Coffee Direct Settlement System - Co-operative Bank of Kenya
$400m Evergrow For Specialized Fertilizers - National Bank of Egypt
$692m Ghana Cocoa Board Pre-export Receivables Backed Trade Finance Facility - Standard Chartered

Infrastructure Deal of the Year

$203m Great Horn Investments Holding “GHIH” - African Export-Import Bank
$1.762bn (of which $363m is the commercial tranche) Tanzania Railways, Government of Tanzania - African Export-Import Bank/Standard Chartered
€350m Benin Project IROKO - African Trade Insurance Agency
$352.4m Fiber Misr for Telecommunications & Information Technology (Benya Technologies) - Banque Misr
$15bn Simandou mining and infrastructure project - Hogan Lovells
$38m InfraCredit's Guarantee of Lagos Free Zone Issuance Fixed Rate Infrastructure Bonds - InfraCredit
$461m Sukuk Issuance for construction and rehabilitation of critical road infrastructure - Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited

Trade Finance Award

Access Bank Nigeria
Attijariwafa Bank (AWB) Group
Bank of Africa (BOA/BMCE) Group
Diamond Trust Bank Kenya
First Bank Nigeria (FBN)

AFAWA Bank of the Year Award - The nominees for this special category will be announced shortly.

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

AFAWA Bank of the Year

Letshego Microfinance Bank Nigeria

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

Exclusive Cocktail Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

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 Business in Africa 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 who are 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.