Africa: Afreximbank’s A-/Stable Rating Confirmed by Japan’s Credit Rating Agency

Africa: Afreximbank’s A-/Stable Rating Confirmed by Japan’s Credit Rating Agency

Japan Credit Rating Agency, Ltd. (JCR) has affirmed African Export-Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) A- issuer credit rating with a stable outlook. The rating reflects JCR’s assessment of Afreximbank’s strong strategic positioning, robust risk management framework, consistent profitability, prudent liquidity policies and resilient capital base. JCR also noted the Bank’s important role in supporting trade finance and…

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Africa: Afrishela Fund’s Alternative Credit Assessment – Another Promising Approach to Narrowing the Gender Financing Gap

Africa: Afrishela Fund’s Alternative Credit Assessment – Another Promising Approach to Narrowing the Gender Financing Gap

Insights from the World Bank GROW Expo Despite women contributing nearly 40% of Africa’s GDP, they receive less than 7% of private equity and venture capital funding–and only a fraction of that reaches women-led SMEs. At the recent World Bank’s GROW Expo in Uganda, the Graça Machel Trust’s Afrishela Fund challenged this disparity with a…

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Africa: Afrishela Fund’s Alternative Credit Assessment – Another Promising Approach to Narrowing the Gender Financing Gap

African Credit Rating Agency to Launch September 2025

TLDR The African Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA), a new privately owned credit rating body, is set to begin operations by September 2025 The agency is backed by private sector stakeholders across Africa, not governments, to ensure independence and credibility The launch was originally planned for June 2025 during an African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) summit,…

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Retail Credit Trends in 2025: Insights and Implications

Retail Credit Trends in 2025: Insights and Implications

As we headed into 2025, the stage seemed set for South Africa’s interest rates to drop, with inflation within the South African Reserve Bank’s (SARB) target range. However, global factors – including heightened geopolitical instability and tariff-related tensions – prompted SARB to hold firm. This interest rate stagnation has had both direct and indirect effects…

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Review: Citi Simplicity Credit Card

Review: Citi Simplicity Credit Card

0% introductory APR for 21 months on Balance Transfers: One of the longest introductory periods we’ve come across, you’ll get 0% intro APR for a full 21 months on Balance Transfers, which means you’ll have almost two years to pay off your balance. 0% introductory APR for 12 months on Purchases: You’ll also get 0%…

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