The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and ZEP-RE (PTA Reinsurance Company) have entered into a three-year partnership aimed at strengthening professional skills and institutional capacity in trade, insurance, reinsurance and risk management across Africa.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together the Afreximbank Academy (AFRACAD) and ZEP-RE Academy to develop training, research and knowledge-sharing programmes for professionals and institutions within Africa’s trade and investment ecosystem.

Afreximbank’s Group Managing Director, Human Resources, Stephen Tio Kauma, signed the agreement on behalf of the bank, while ZEP-RE’s Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Jephita Gwatipedza, represented the reinsurance company.

As part of the collaboration, AFRACAD and ZEP-RE Academy will produce digital learning resources such as online courses, practical toolkits and African case studies. The materials will be accessible through AFRACAD’s digital learning platform and ZEP-RE Academy’s Learning Management System.

The partnership is expected to broaden access to specialised training for professionals across African markets, particularly in trade finance, insurance and risk management.

The two institutions will also jointly deliver professional and executive development programmes in areas including risk management, reinsurance, trade guarantees, trade facilitation, financial infrastructure and market development.

These programmes could take the form of short courses, executive masterclasses and certification programmes, delivered in person, online or through a combination of both approaches.

Research and knowledge exchange will form another part of the partnership. The institutions plan to collaborate on studies, webinars, policy discussions and industry forums involving regulators, private-sector operators, development partners and other stakeholders.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Kauma said Africa’s capacity to increase trade and investment depended not only on access to financing and infrastructure but also on the availability of the necessary skills and institutional capacity.

He said the agreement would bring together Afreximbank’s knowledge of African trade and trade finance and ZEP-RE’s experience in 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,” he said.

Gwatipedza said lasting growth in trade required institutions responsible for financing and facilitating commerce to be equipped to identify and manage the associated risks.

According to him, the partnership would bridge expertise in trade finance with knowledge of insurance and reinsurance, thereby strengthening institutions supporting businesses operating across African markets.

The latest agreement expands an existing relationship between Afreximbank and ZEP-RE. In 2025, the two institutions introduced the Trans-Africa Bond Alliance (TABA), an initiative focused on strengthening insurance capacity, supporting cross-border trade and improving the movement of goods and investment across Africa.

Since beginning operations in June 2025, TABA supported approximately $185 million in bonds during 2025, followed by another $280 million in the first quarter of 2026. The risks involved originated from 24 cedents, meaning organisations that transferred insurance risks, across five countries.

TABA also supports Afreximbank’s African Collaborative Transit Guarantee Scheme (AACTGS), which is designed to make the movement of goods across African borders easier and less costly.

The broader guarantee scheme has $1 billion in guarantee limits, including a $300 million facility being implemented with ZEP-RE within the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region.

The guarantee arrangement is designed to reduce traders’ reliance on multiple transit bonds across different countries. By doing so, it can reduce the amount of business capital held as collateral and provide greater predictability for cross-border transactions.

For businesses involved in regional African trade, effective transit guarantees and risk-management systems can help address some of the financial and administrative difficulties associated with transporting goods through multiple countries.

Afreximbank and ZEP-RE said the new capacity-building initiative would equip professionals with the technical expertise needed to handle increasingly complex transactions involving trade, insurance and risk across African markets.

The institutions also said the collaboration would contribute to developing a broader pool of African professionals equipped to address challenges where trade, finance, insurance and risk management intersect.

The three-year MoU is expected to advance skills development, institutional strengthening and knowledge sharing as part of broader efforts to improve conditions for cross-border trade and regional economic integration across Africa.

Source: Msme Africa Online