The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has received a major vote of confidence from S&P Global Ratings, securing a BBB+ long-term issuer credit rating and an A-2 short-term issuer credit rating, reflecting the institution’s expanding role in driving Africa’s economic transformation and resilience.
The ratings agency assigned a Stable Outlook to the Bank, citing its increasing strategic importance, strong shareholder backing and growing capacity to support African economies during periods of global uncertainty.
According to S&P, Afreximbank has significantly strengthened its position over the past decade, evolving into a critical development finance institution that supports trade, industrialisation and regional integration across the continent. The agency noted that the Bank’s total assets surged from US$7.1 billion in 2015 to US$42.3 billion in 2025, while shareholders’ equity increased from US$1.3 billion to US$8.4 billion over the same period.
S&P highlighted the Bank’s pivotal contribution to advancing intra-African trade and supporting the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The agency pointed to several flagship initiatives, including the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), the Africa Trade Gateway and the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund, which are helping to strengthen regional value chains and promote economic integration.
Reacting to the rating, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Dr George Elombi, described the assessment as recognition of the Bank’s growing impact across Africa and the diaspora.
“This rating is a strong endorsement of Afreximbank’s financial strength, stability and international credibility, and a clear affirmation of its strategic importance to and impact across Global Africa,” Dr Elombi said.
He stressed that Africa’s economic transformation would require bold leadership and self-driven solutions, noting that recent global developments have reinforced the need for the continent to chart its own development path.
The rating also reflects Afreximbank’s track record of responding to economic crises. S&P referenced the Bank’s interventions during major global disruptions, including the COVID-19 pandemic, commodity market downturns and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. More recently, the Bank launched a US$10 billion Gulf Crisis Response Programme to help African and Caribbean countries manage the economic fallout from tensions in the Middle East.
With its growing balance sheet, expanding policy role and continued shareholder support, Afreximbank is increasingly positioning itself as one of Africa’s most influential financial institutions and a key driver of the continent’s long-term economic integration agenda.
