Afreximbank extends US$15m facility to Ecobank Zimbabwe to finance SMEs in export value chains

Afreximbank extends US$15m facility to Ecobank Zimbabwe to finance SMEs in export value chains
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African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has extended a US$15 million SME Finance Facility to Ecobank Zimbabwe Limited to support small and medium enterprises participating in export value chains, the institutions said in a press release issued in Cairo on 19 May 2026.

The funding is being provided under Afreximbank’s Export SME Development Programme (ESDP) and is intended to offer both working capital and capital expenditure financing to SMEs operating across key sectors of Zimbabwe’s economy, including agribusiness, manufacturing, healthcare and logistics.

Afreximbank and Ecobank Zimbabwe said the facility builds on a partnership dating back to 2018, with the stated aim of expanding access to finance for SMEs, deepening export value chains and promoting inclusive economic growth.

According to the press release, the programme targets SMEs “operating across export value chains” in sectors that also include technology and the creative economy, among others, noting that smaller firms remain underserved by conventional lending despite their role in production and employment.

Ms Oluranti Doherty, Afreximbank’s Managing Director for Export Development, said the facility was designed to address gaps that commercial finance alone struggles to meet, while helping position SMEs for stronger participation in intra-African trade and regional value chains.

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The facility will be channelled through Ecobank Zimbabwe as a licensed financial intermediary. Afreximbank said this approach combines its trade finance expertise with Ecobank Zimbabwe’s local client base and distribution network.

Afreximbank said 43.75 percent of the proceeds will support intra-African trade activities, while 18 percent will be directed towards manufacturing, reflecting its stated focus on industrialisation and regional trade integration.

Beyond lending, the press release said Afreximbank will provide capacity-building support to SME sub-borrowers, covering operations and financial management, loan management, export readiness, marketing and digitalisation. The bank said the non-financial support is meant to improve sustainability and strengthen SME participation in export value chains.

Ecobank Zimbabwe Managing Director Moses Kurenjekwa said the partnership is intended to unlock export-linked financing for small businesses, which he described as a major driver of jobs and growth. He said the facility would be delivered through Ecobank Zimbabwe’s SME product suite and advisory infrastructure to provide both funding and business support.

The press release noted that SMEs account for more than 60 percent of Zimbabwe’s GDP and over 70 percent of national employment, while access to longer-tenor, export-linked finance remains a constraint for many firms.

For communities in Mashonaland Central—where agribusiness, transport and small-scale manufacturing play an important role in livelihoods—the facility may be relevant to SMEs seeking working capital and equipment financing connected to export markets and regional trade corridors, subject to bank lending requirements.

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