LONDON, April 29 – The World Bank Group’s private-sector arm, International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Standard Chartered have launched a new risk-sharing facility designed to strengthen supply chains and expand access to trade finance across Africa.
The programme will cover up to $300 million in supply chain and trade finance assets originated by Standard Chartered, helping accelerate payments to suppliers and improve liquidity across key industries.
Under the arrangement, IFC will provide guarantees of up to $150 million, supporting transactions in U.S. dollars as well as selected local currencies. This structure is expected to reduce risk for lenders and unlock greater financing flows to businesses.
The initiative will be rolled out across eight African markets: Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia. It will target critical sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing.
Over the next three years, the partnership is expected to facilitate approximately $1.9 billion in supply chain finance transactions and support more than 500 suppliers, many of whom face limited access to affordable financing.
The move builds on IFC’s broader push to expand trade finance in emerging markets. In 2024, the institution partnered with HSBC on a separate $1 billion risk-sharing programme spanning Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
By improving access to working capital and reducing payment delays, the IFC–Standard Chartered initiative aims to strengthen business resilience and drive economic growth across the continent.
