The MOU brings together Afreximbank Academy (AFRACAD) and ZEP-RE Academy to create and scale learning, research and knowledge programmes that combine their expertise.
The agreement was signed at ZEP-RE’s offices in Nairobi by Mr. Stephen Kauma, Group Managing Director, Human Resources, Afreximbank, and Mr. Jephita Gwatipedza, Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, ZEP-RE.
By combining Afreximbank’s deep expertise in African trade and trade finance with ZEP-RE’s extensive experience in insurance, reinsurance and risk management, the two institutions will develop practical learning solutions that equip professionals, institutions and market participants with the skills and knowledge to strengthen Africa’s growing trade and investment ecosystem.
Under the three-year partnership, AFRACAD and ZEP-RE Academy will work together across three (3) strategic pillars:
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr. Stephen Kauma, Group Managing Director, Human Resources at Afreximbank, said:
“Africa’s ability to expand trade and investment depends on more than financial resources and infrastructure. It also depends on knowledge, skills and institutional capacity across our markets. Through AFRACAD, Afreximbank has made capacity building central to its mandate of transforming Global African trade. Our partnership with ZEP-RE brings together complementary expertise in trade finance, insurance, reinsurance and risk management. By combining these strengths, we can build practical, scalable and Global Africa-focused learning and knowledge solutions that equip professionals and institutions with the skills and knowledge to drive greater trade and investment across the continent.”
Mr. Jephita Gwatipedza, Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer at ZEP-RE (PTA Reinsurance Company), remarked:
“Trade cannot expand sustainably unless the institutions that finance and facilitate it can also understand, price and manage the risks involved. This partnership will connect trade finance with insurance and reinsurance expertise, helping to build stronger institutional capability across African markets. Its success will ultimately be measured not by the number of programmes delivered, but by whether professionals and institutions are better equipped to support Africa’s evolving trade and investment landscape.”
The MoU builds on the existing partnership between Afreximbank and ZEP-RE. In 2025, the two institutions launched the Trans-Africa Bond Alliance (TABA) (https://apo-opa.co/4gV3VMp) to strengthen insurance capacity, facilitate cross-border trade and support the efficient movement of goods and investment across Africa.
Since beginning operations in June 2025, TABA has supported approximately US$185 million in bonds in 2025 and US$280 million in the first quarter of 2026, with risks originating from 24 cedents across five countries. TABA supports Afreximbank’s African Collaborative Transit Guarantee Scheme (AACTGS) and the wider AfCFTA trade facilitation agenda by promoting a harmonised, technology-enabled approach to transit guarantees across African borders.
The wider African Collaborative Transit Guarantee Scheme is supported by US$1 billion in guarantee limits (https://apo-opa.co/4raTIia), including a US$300 million facility being implemented with ZEP-RE in the COMESA region. The initiative aims to reduce reliance on multiple national transit bonds, release working capital otherwise tied up as collateral and improve the efficiency and predictability of cross-border trade.
The MoU extends this collaboration into capacity building, strengthening the technical expertise and institutional knowledge needed for increasingly sophisticated trade, insurance and risk solutions across African markets.
The partnership will help build a stronger pool of African expertise capable of addressing increasingly complex issues at the intersection of trade, finance, insurance and risk, while supporting deeper regional integration and sustainable economic development across the continent.
The MoU will initially run for three (3) years and may be renewed by mutual agreement.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.
Media Contact:
Vincent Musumba
Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations)
Email: press@afreximbank.com
Richard Ryaganda
Senior Communications Officer
Email: rryagada@zep-re.com
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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 over 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 industrialisation and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A strong 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 has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2025, Afreximbank's total assets and contingencies stood at over US$48.5 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$8.4 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), GCR (A), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-), Moody's (Baa2) and S&P Global Ratings (BBB+). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.
For more information, visit: www.Afreximbank.com
About ZEP-RE:
ZEP-RE (PTA Reinsurance Company) is a Pan-African multilateral reinsurance institution and specialized agency of COMESA established in 1990 to develop the insurance and reinsurance industry, mobilize investment, deepen financial inclusion and support capacity building across Africa. For more than three decades, ZEP-RE has supported economic growth, regional integration and financial resilience by expanding risk capacity, strengthening risk management and advancing sustainable development across the continent.
As part of its developmental mandate, ZEP-RE advances climate resilience, financial inclusion and market development through a range of specialised initiatives, including ACRE Africa, which provides technology-enabled agricultural insurance solutions for smallholder farmers, the World Bank-funded DRIVE programme supporting drought resilience in the Horn of Africa, and the ZEP-RE Academy, which has trained over 30,000 professionals from more than 45 countries. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, ZEP-RE operates across Africa through a network of regional and country offices. It holds an A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and an Issuer Credit Rating of bbb+, both with a stable outlook
For more information, visit: www.ZEP-RE.com.
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