International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Standard Chartered have launched a $300 million risk-sharing facility aimed at expanding supply chain finance and boosting business growth across Africa, as companies on the continent continue to grapple with limited access to working capital.
- +IFC, Standard Chartered launch $300m facility to support African businesses
The partnership will introduce supply chain finance solutions in Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, targeting sectors including agriculture, healthcare and manufacturing, according to a statement seen by BusinessDay.
The partnership will introduce supply chain finance solutions in Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, targeting sectors including agriculture, healthcare and manufacturing, according to a statement seen by BusinessDay.
The facility will cover up to $300 million in supply chain and trade finance assets originated by Standard Chartered in Africa.
It includes financing instruments such as payables finance, receivables discounting and pre-shipment finance programs, designed to help businesses — particularly small and medium-sized enterprises — access earlier payments, reduce financing costs and invest in expansion.
Under the arrangement, IFC will provide guarantees of up to $150 million from its own account, including an initial $100 million first tranche, supporting transactions in U.S. dollars and selected local currencies.
Over the next three years, the initiative is projected to enable about $1.9 billion in supply chain finance transactions.
The partners said the program could support more than 500 suppliers participating in domestic and global value chains, with the potential to indirectly benefit over one million farmers across Africa.
The initiative also aims to strengthen links between buyers and suppliers, improve delivery reliability, and support job creation across supply chains.
“Supply chain finance is among the fastest ways to narrow the growing finance gap that businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises, are facing in emerging economies,” said Mohamed Gouled, IFC’s vice president, Products & Clients.
“By partnering with Standard Chartered to support companies at the centre of strategic value chains, we can unlock much-needed working capital at scale for businesses across Africa, including smaller firms and farmers, making supply chains more competitive and boosting job creation.”
Dalu Ajene, chief executive and head of Coverage, Standard Chartered Africa, said the agreement underscores both institutions’ commitment to strengthening Africa’s supply chains and supporting sustainable business growth.
“As a super-connector bank with deep expertise across key trade corridors linking Africa to Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas, we are uniquely positioned to channel capital and innovation into the real economy,” Ajene said.
“By expanding access to supply chain finance, we are helping African companies unlock liquidity, manage risk, and invest with confidence.”
Global demand for supply chain finance reached an estimated $2.7 trillion in 2025, representing an 8 percent increase year-on-year, according to the statement.
However, adoption in emerging markets has lagged behind developed economies as commercial banks remain cautious about exposure to lower-income and fragile markets.
The facility is IFC’s first project under its Global Supply Chain Finance Program and the Africa Trade and Supply Chain Recovery Initiative, backed by the International Development Association Private Sector Window Blended Finance Facility.
