The Centre for Export Development (CED), a marketing partner of Africa Export Awards and African Trade Affair Agreement 2025, congratulates His Excellency President of Burundi on this well-deserved milestone achievement. President, in your princely speech during the 78^th Session of the United Nations General Debate in New York, you highlighted mainstay principles that are propelling unwavering change in Burundi; remarkably, your statement echoed in your indigenous language, “ Nuru muu “ meaning prosperity can only last if shared, really set the tone. Burundi 2030 Agenda of Sustainability, characterised by independence, the country’s ambition of promoting good governance and improving business climate, and the involvement of youth and women in Burundi’s development programs was a cherry on top.

President, we have no doubt in your astute leadership as you discharge your mandate as the 1^st Vice Chair of Central Region. We have witnessed your aspiration and work towards achieving Burundi 2040 goal by launching the Burundi Trade Information Portal that seeks to ensure transparency, harmonise trade procedures at the regional level, and promote a favourable business environment for traders, as well as your collaboration with the Economic Commission for Africa and adoption of Green Supplement Strategy. It is no surprise that Burundi is the UK joint 219^th largest trading partner.

African Union will indisputably benefit from a leader that champions solidarity, peace, prosperity, and sustainable development.

Long Live President Long Live

Maseli Rapuleng
CEO
Centre for Export Development
Tel: +27 68 229 0571/ +27 63 027 9690
Email: maseli.rapuleng@ced.org.za

The Centre for Export Development, a marketing partner of the African Trade Fair Agreement 2025, wishes to congratulate His Excellency, Angolan President, on this well-deserved milestone achievement. President Lourenco, we have seen your work that demonstrates a genuine interest and commitment to continuously improving both Angola and the African Diaspora, witnessing the emergence of a new chapter.

Angola has long suffered from being fairly impenetrable as a place of business, and the Centre for Export Development believes that it is the responsibility of the state to create the best conditions for business.

We have no doubt in your astute leadership, as validated by your attitude in support of the Free Trade Area, to increase intra-regional trade so as to achieve economic development of the region. President, through your reign we have eyewitnessed a development action that inculcates a culture of economic diversification, international export standards, trade negotiations, logistic support, and most importantly, entrepreneur support—an accomplishment with a profound impact of continuously raising a new generation of entrepreneurs, destined to drive Angola towards the future.

Impressed by the establishment of Agencia de Investimento Privado e Promocao Das Exportacoes Success of Angola and SADC (South African Development Community) failsafe under your stewardship.

Long Live Comrade President Long Live

Regards,

Maseli Rapuleng
CEO
Centre for Export Development
Tel: +27 68 229 0571/ +27 63 027 9690
Email: maseli.rapuleng@ced.org.za

The Africa Trade Desk, a public-private partnership between Prosper Africa and Afritex Ventures, is set to facilitate at least $300 million in export sales between Africa and the United States within the next 18 months. The Africa Trade Desk bridges the gap between African suppliers and U.S. retailers by establishing a secure supply chain from Africa to U.S. retailers by consolidating logistics, insurance, and track and trace technology from farm to retailer. Initially, the focus will remain on speciality food products such as seafood, peppadews, stone fruit, citrus, and high-value herbs and vegetables. This initiative aggregates products from African suppliers, secures firm orders from its established network of U.S. buyers, and accesses financial resources to fund large orders. It supports U.S. retailers in diversifying their sourcing, reducing dependencies on traditional supply chains, and embracing high-quality, sustainable products from Africa, and also aims to mentor and scale African suppliers for success in the U.S. market. The Africa Trade Desk will help streamline business for African farmers by addressing hurdles including logistics and overseas marketing.

Prosper Africa is a U.S. Presidential-level national security initiative created to increase trade and investment at transformative levels. Prosper Africa is leading innovative approaches to U.S.-Africa trade relations and is changing the way we do business with Africa.

The event was graced by the Right Honourable Dr. Edouard Ngirente, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Rwanda who was accompanied by the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Prof. Benedict Oramah, Executive Vice Presidents of Afreximbank, members of the Board of Directors of FEDA and Marlene Ngoyi, Chief Executive Officer of FEDA.

Speaking at the inauguration, the Prime Minister said: “The establishment of FEDA in Rwanda reflects our commitment to not only fostering economic development within our borders but also to playing a pivotal role in the economic transformation of our continent. This initiative is a step closer to the realisation of the goals outlined in the Agenda 2063 of the African Union which lays great emphasis on the transformation of African economies and acceleration of economic growth on the continent.”

He noted that despite Africa’s significant resource endowments and contiguous markets, the continent had the lowest level of intra-regional trade in the world, adding that the continent’s share of value created remained the lowest across many products and commodities due to sub-optimal value addition.

On his part, President of Afreximbank, Prof. Benedict Oramah noted: “FEDA adds to the pool of institutions helping Africa to create its own capital base for development. With a focus on providing long-term, patient capital targeting all segments, from SMEs to corporates, and cutting across dynamic sectors of value-addition, services, and technology, FEDA is poised to drive Africa’s development under a new vision of de-commoditised, growth-oriented pathways underpinned by a dynamic private sector.”

Prof. Oramah explained: “The strategic importance of FEDA is becoming apparent just four years after it began operations. Funds Under Management under different strategies amount to about US$800 million and FEDA is using some of these funds to create and mobilise additional funds. FEDA is also a co-promoter of a US$500 million Africa Credit Opportunity Fund (ACOF) and is currently creating a US$100 million Venture Capital Fund to focus on start-ups and SMEs with seed funding from Afreximbank.”

The inauguration, which took place at the Radisson Blu Hotel and Kigali Convention Centre, was witnessed by over 150 guests drawn from the Rwandan government, the business and diplomatic community in Rwanda and representatives of the African Union and other regional economic and political bodies among others.

FEDA became the Fund Manager of the US$1 billion AfCFTA Adjustment Fund in 2023.

Media Contact:

Vincent Musumba

Manager, Communications and Events (Media Relations)

Email: press@afreximbank.com

Tel: +20 2 24564100 /1/2/3

Mobile: +201030121123

ENDS –

About FEDA:

The Fund for Export Development in Africa (“FEDA”) is the impact investment subsidiary of Afreximbank set up to provide equity, quasi-equity, and debt capital to finance the multi-billion-dollar funding gap (particularly in equity) needed to transform the Trade sector in Africa. FEDA pursues a multi-sector investment strategy along the intra-African trade, value-added export development, and manufacturing value chain which includes financial services, technology, consumer and retail goods, manufacturing, transport & logistics, agribusiness, as well as ancillary trade enabling infrastructure such as industrial parks.

About Afreximbank

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance, facilitate and promote intra and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative instruments to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the AfCFTA, Afreximbank has in partnership with the African Union Commission and AFCFTA Secretariat launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement. The AFCFTA Secretariat and the Bank have created a USD 10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries to effectively participate in the AfCFTA. At the end of September 2023, Afreximbank’s total assets and guarantees stood at USD 31.5 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to USD 5.85 billion. The Bank disbursed more than USD 100 billion between 2016 and 2023 through various interventions for the advancement of the continent. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa1), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure, (together, “the Group”).For more information, visit: www.afreximbank.com

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According to the Future of Trade 2023 report, robust intra-regional trade growth is anticipated for West and East Africa. West Africa, in particular, presents significant potential for the establishment of value chains, especially in agricultural products like shea butter and cocoa beans. Initiatives such as the West Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Project are expected to enhance connectivity, facilitating increased trade activities.

At a ceremony on the fifth day of the third Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2023), Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, signed the framework agreement on behalf of the Bank.

Other signers were Robertine Walendom, Minister of Industry and Trade of Chad; Sosten Gwengwe, Minister of Industry and Trade of Malawi; Dr. Anxious Masuka, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of Zimbabwe; Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation of Egypt; and Gagan Gupta, Founder and CEO of ARISE IIP.

Afreximbank, working with strategic partners and member countries, is facilitating the implementation of the ExAFS initiative by committing US$2 billion to boost production, processing and intra-African trade in agricultural products and provide African farmers and agribusinesses with opportunities to access larger markets across the continent.

The initiative is intended to help address food insecurity in Africa, which includes a near 20 per cent hunger rate, by reducing dependence on other regions for much needed food commodities. ExAFS will also increase sales, lead to better prices, and improve profitability for Africa’s agricultural value chain stakeholders.

It will leverage upon the establishment of agricultural transformation centres (ATCs) – under a public-private partnership model – in agricultural production zones to provide facilities for agricultural produce from farming communities to be collected, sorted, stored, and transported as raw material for processing or distribution. ATCs will also provide additional services to farmers, including micro finance, basic social services, cold storage facilities, extension services and training.

Afreximbank will act as financier, facilitator and advisor and will lead the implementation of partnership activities while governments of pilot origin countries of the agricultural produce (Zimbabwe, Malawi and Chad) will play the role of policy enablers and ensure conducive environments for the ATCs. ATC anchor investors, such as zone developers, large scale commercial farmers, seed companies and development finance institutions, will invest in the ATCs and their necessary infrastructure and will be the primary purchasers and aggregators in origin markets while anchor buyers, such as the Government of Egypt, will be the primary export markets for agricultural produce.

– Ends –

About the Intra-African Trade Fair

Organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) is intended to provide a unique platform for facilitating trade and investment information exchange in support of increased intra-African trade and investment, especially in the context of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). IATF brings together continental and global players to showcase and exhibit their goods and services and to explore business and investment opportunities in the continent. It also provides a platform to share trade, investment and market information with stakeholders and allows participants to discuss and identify solutions to the challenges confronting intra-African trade and investment. In addition to African participants, the Trade Fair is also open to businesses and investors from non-African countries interested in doing business in Africa and in supporting the continent’s transformation through industrialisation and export development.

For more information, please visit www.intrafricantradefair.com

About Afreximbank

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra-and extra-African trade. For 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank is setting up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries to effectively participate in the AfCFTA. At the end of 2022, Afreximbank’s total assets and guarantees stood at over US$31 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$5.2 billion. The Bank disbursed more than US$86 billion between 2016 and 2022. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa1), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure, (together, “the Group”).

For more information, please visit: www.afreximbank.com

Maseli Rapuleng, CEO of the Centre for Export Development (CED), presented prestigious awards to some of the standout winners of the inaugural Africa Export Awards at a dazzling ceremony held on November 10, 2023, in Cairo, Egypt.

Rapuleng, in his opening remarks, emphasized the importance of the Africa Export Awards in recognizing and celebrating the exceptional achievements of African businesses on the global stage. He commended the dedication, innovation, and leadership displayed by the award winners, highlighting their substantial contributions to the economic growth of the continent.

Among the recipients of the coveted awards were:

Volkswagen Group South Africa – Manufacturer of the Year

Volkswagen Group South Africa – Manufacturer of the Year: Recognized for its excellence in manufacturing and its significant impact on the automotive industry.

Emmppek Farms – High Potential Exporter Award

Emmppek Farms – High Potential Exporter Award: Acknowledged for its outstanding contributions to the agricultural sector and its potential for further growth on the international stage.

Asteven Energy – Clean Technology

Asteven Energy – Clean Technology: Honored for its innovative approaches in the field of clean technology, contributing to sustainable development.

Illovo Sugar – Consumer Products

Illovo Sugar – Consumer Products: Celebrated for its excellence in producing consumer products and its positive influence on the global market.

Trindiva International – Emerging Exporter

Trindiva International – Emerging Exporter: Recognized as an emerging force in international trade, showing promise and potential for future success.

Rapuleng personally handed out the awards, expressing his admiration for the recipients and their commitment to excellence. He emphasized that these companies not only exemplify the diversity and dynamism of African industries but also set new standards for international business excellence.

In his post-ceremony statement, Rapuleng reiterated the CED’s commitment to further enhancing Africa’s export capabilities. He shared that the organization will soon launch a masterclass aimed at increasing individuals’ capacity to foster export growth in Africa. Additionally, strategic plans include a roadshow to strengthen relations with trade missions across the continent.

]]> https://ced.org.za/2023/11/13/ced-ceo-rapuleng-honors-african-business-excellence-in-cairo-awards-ceremony/feed/ 0 https://ced.org.za/2023/11/12/afcfta-can-break-africas-colonial-legacy-of-exporting-raw-materials-and-importing-finished-goods-iatf2023-participants-hear/ https://ced.org.za/2023/11/12/afcfta-can-break-africas-colonial-legacy-of-exporting-raw-materials-and-importing-finished-goods-iatf2023-participants-hear/#respond Sun, 12 Nov 2023 19:57:09 +0000 https://ced.org.za/?p=4332 Cairo, 12 November 2023: The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can break Africa’s colonial legacy of exporting raw materials and importing finished goods, Jean-Louis Ekra, Deputy Chairperson of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2023) Advisory Council and a former President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), said today as the Trade and Investment Conference of IATF2023 began in Cairo.

Mr. Ekra, who was delivering an opening statement, pointed out the unsustainability of African economies relying on natural resources and commodities, saying that this dependence made them vulnerable to adverse trade shocks, liquidity constraints and macroeconomic management challenges.

Arguing that the situation needed to be addressed urgently, especially as it had worsened the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions and climate change, he said that “AfCFTA cannot fail, especially given that intra-African trade is estimated at 16 per cent” which was a level of trade that compared unfavourably with other regions.

Mr. Ekra said that the low level of intra-African trade was explained by constraints such as limited trade and infrastructure including payments and settlement systems, lack of access to relevant market information, limited knowledge about business, sustained investment opportunities and limited platforms to connect buyers and sellers.
He urged African countries to recognise that the AfCFTA was the missing link the continent needed and that it presented many trade and investment opportunities in manufacturing, export development, SME promotion and trade in services.
Also speaking, Ali Basha, Minister Plenipotentiary from Egypt, welcomed guests to the conference and said that the panels hosted as part of the conference should not be missed. He urged all African nations to “work hand-in-hand to address the challenges of trade integration.”
The ceremony showcased a hologram of Kwame Nkrumah, a former President of Ghana and a major advocate for African unity.
In subsequent panels discussions, attendees heard contributions on a wide range of topics, including energy transition and industrialisation in Africa, transforming the manufacturing sector and promoting diversification of African trade.

During a panel on energy transition and industrialisation in Africa, Dr. Ainojie Irune, Chief Operating Officer of Oando Energy Resources, emphasised the need for African leaders to be more impatient about developing the continent, arguing that energy was crucial to Africa’s development and the transition should benefit Africa where 40 per cent of the population live without electricity.
Ms. Helen Brume, Afreximbank’s Director of Projects and Asset Based Finance, said that any discussion about transitioning to cleaner energy sources must consider that 600 million Africans still lacked access to electricity while 900 million do not have access to clean energy sources for cooking.
During a panel on transforming Africa’s manufacturing sector, Olukayode Pitan, former CEO and Managing Director of Bank of Industry, Gagan Gupta, Founder and CEO of ARISE Integrated Industrial Platform, Manuel Mota, Deputy CEO of Mota-Engil, and Brian Deaver, CEO of the African Medical Center of Excellence, deliberated on the importance of establishing connectivity in Africa’s supply chains. They agreed that such a transformation would significantly improve the lives of Africa’s 1.5 billion inhabitants.
According to them, with the key to a thriving manufacturing sector being dependent on African talent, investing in their education and training was crucial.

A highlight of the day was the launch of the impact evaluation report of the US$19-billion Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Complex in Nigeria by Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank. Emeka Uzoigwe, Acting Director of Strategy and Innovation at Afreximbank, who noted that the complex was launched in 2018, emphasised the importance of the project’s insights for other African businesses as it had the potential to transform not only Nigeria but the entire West Africa.
The Trade and Investment Conference is a component of IATF2023, Africa’s largest trade and investment fair. It aims to optimise access to Africa’s connected markets through the AfCFTA. The trade fair is expected to attract over 1,600 exhibitors and 35,000 visitors, with trade and investment deals worth US$43 billion projected to be concluded during the event.

– Ends –

About the Intra-African Trade Fair
Organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) is intended to provide a unique platform for facilitating trade and investment information exchange in support of increased intra-African trade and investment, especially in the context of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). IATF brings together continental and global players to showcase and exhibit their goods and services and to explore business and investment opportunities in the continent. It also provides a platform to share trade, investment and market information with stakeholders and allows participants to discuss and identify solutions to the challenges confronting intra-African trade and investment. In addition to African participants, the Trade Fair is also open to businesses and investors from non-African countries interested in doing business in Africa and in supporting the continent’s transformation through industrialisation and export development.
For more information, please visit www.intrafricantradefair.com

About Afreximbank
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra-and extra-African trade. For 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank is setting up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries to effectively participate in the AfCFTA. At the end of 2022, Afreximbank’s total assets and guarantees stood at over US$31 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$5.2 billion. The Bank disbursed more than US$86 billion between 2016 and 2022. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa1), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure, (together, “the Group”).
For more information, please visit: www.afreximbank.com