Africa is set to strengthen its financial markets with the launch of the African Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA) on October 7, 2026, in Port Louis, Mauritius.

The launch follows the second Africa Annual Conference on Credit Ratings, holding October 5–6 and convened by the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and partners.

The conference is examining credit-rating systems, investment opportunities, access to finance and sustainable development, while the wider engagements seek to improve access to reliable credit information and strengthen investor confidence in African businesses.

As part of the programme, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will host a roundtable on “Strengthening Domestic Credit Rating Ecosystems to Unlock Corporate Investment in Africa.”

The session will focus on challenges in domestic capital markets, including fragmented rating systems, differences in methodologies and scales, and the high cost of conventional credit assessments.

Domestic credit rating agencies provide market-specific risk assessments that help investors and lenders make financing decisions. However, limited data, uneven regulatory frameworks and expensive assessments continue to restrict their reach, particularly among firms seeking investment.

The UNDP roundtable will explore practical ways to expand credible corporate credit-risk assessments while maintaining analytical quality, independence and institutional credibility.

Discussions will also consider how technology, improved data and common standards can reduce assessment costs, strengthen monitoring and improve cross-border comparability of credit-risk information.

A major focus will be how credible assessments can increase confidence among investors and lenders and ultimately improve businesses’ access to capital.

Participants are expected to include domestic and Africa-operating rating agencies, financial institutions, investors, securities exchanges, regulators, private-sector representatives, development partners and multilateral banks.

The initiative builds on UNDP’s Africa Credit Ratings Initiative (ACRI), launched in 2024 with support from the Government of Japan to strengthen African governments’ capacity to navigate sovereign credit-rating processes.

Since its inception, ACRI has provided technical assistance, advisory services, capacity-building programmes, a dedicated resource platform and a community of practice, with more than 400 government officials across Africa participating in its activities.

The AfCRA launch, alongside the continental conference and UNDP roundtable, will give stakeholders an opportunity to assess how improved credit-risk assessment and more accessible financial information can support business expansion, capital mobilisation and economic development.

For African businesses seeking growth funding, stronger domestic credit-rating systems could help address information gaps that often limit access to financing, placing renewed attention on the link between credit-risk assessment, investor confidence and capital mobilisation for Africa’s economic transformation.

Source: Blueprint