Afreximbank extends $10m facility to Azania Bank to support Tanzanian SMEs

Business, Entrepreneurship & SMEs

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (NPA) — The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has extended a US$10 million financing facility to Azania Bank Plc to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Tanzania’s export value chains.

The facility is also expected to strengthen the participation of Tanzanian SMEs in regional and international trade.

Provided under Afreximbank’s Export SME Development Programme (ESDP), the facility will enable Azania Bank to offer eligible SMEs working capital and medium-term financing for business expansion, asset acquisition and pre- and post-export operations.

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According to Afreximbank, the financing is expected to boost productivity and participation in regional and global value chains while addressing financing gaps that constrain SME growth and export development.

Azania Bank will on-lend the funds to eligible SMEs involved in export-oriented activities across sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, trade, technology, logistics and value-added exports.

The bank said the facility would strengthen its capacity to respond to the financing needs of SMEs and emerging businesses that contribute to Tanzania’s industrialisation and trade agenda.

The initiative is also expected to support business growth, create employment opportunities, improve export readiness and strengthen Tanzania’s participation in regional value chains.

It will further help SMEs take advantage of opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by improving their capacity to participate in cross-border trade and regional supply networks.

In addition to financing, Afreximbank will provide participating SMEs with business development support, including export-readiness training, financial management advisory services, market-linkage opportunities, digitalisation support and access to SME-focused knowledge and networking platforms.

Afreximbank said the interventions were designed to strengthen enterprise resilience, improve competitiveness and enable SMEs to scale sustainably.

Mrs Oluranti Doherty, Managing Director, Export Development, Afreximbank, said SMEs were central to Africa’s productive economy and critical to industrialisation, value addition and trade-led growth.

“However, many businesses continue to face significant barriers to accessing the financing, market opportunities and technical support needed to scale and compete effectively,” Doherty said.

She said the partnership with Azania Bank would provide SMEs with financing as well as capacity-building and market-access support to help them grow, export and integrate into regional and global value chains.

Mr Yahaya Mbanka, Director, Business Development, Azania Bank Plc, said the facility would strengthen the bank’s ability to provide Tanzanian SMEs with financing to expand their businesses, invest in productive capacity and pursue export opportunities.

He said the partnership would also enable the bank to provide support tailored to businesses operating across Tanzania’s key value chains.

Afreximbank said the facility supports its mandate to promote trade, industrialisation and export development across Africa, while aligning with Tanzania’s priorities on domestic production, value addition, export diversification and regional trade integration.

According to Afreximbank’s 2025 Annual Trade Development Effectiveness Report (ATDER), the bank extended more than US$960 million to over 58,000 SMEs across Africa.

The report said the initiative prioritised women- and youth-led enterprises, among others, and provided trade finance facilities to help businesses obtain capital, scale operations, participate in cross-border trade and expand into new markets.