RMB, one of Africa’s corporate and investment banks, has invested in Acre Export Finance Fund I, which targets commercial debt tranches of Export Credit Agency (ECA) transactions supporting climate-aligned infrastructure in Africa.

The fund has announced its first close on April 17 in which it has successfully raised an equity of approximately $100m that will be used to part finance projects in four impact sectors: renewable power generation, health, food and water scarcity - as well as sustainable cities and green transportation.

Aymeric Perrin-Guinot, Senior Transactor ECA Finance at RMB London, said: “By providing specialist funding for the commercial debt tranche and as a result unlocking the ECA guaranteed part of the transaction, the fund will enable the mobilisation of up to $2bln toward impact projects.”

“ECA finance, by enabling access to long-term debt for borrowers in emerging markets, is seen as a key contributor to the reduction of the infrastructure financing gap in Africa, which is estimated to be over $100 billion every year.”

Siyanda Mflathelwa, Sector Head of PPPs and Concessions at RMB noted that the fund fills a specific gap in the market which is the funding of the uncovered portion of ECA transactions, which has become increasingly difficult to fund. 

Thereby unlocking transactions that will have a multiplier effect on the economies of the countries where it is deployed.

The IMF has recently noted that for every $1m invested in infrastructure projects, between 8 and 30 jobs are created in low income developing countries.

“In addition, the fund is expected to have a significant positive social, environmental and economic impact, underlining RMB’s own ambitions in sustainable finance and our commitment to support Africa’s transition to a lower carbon economy in line with the Paris Agreement.”

Acre Export Finance Fund will align all its investments with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and leverage industry-leading frameworks for impact reporting.

Perrin-Guinot added that RMB’s investment in the fund is a great example of African banks contributing to solutions to African problems.

Hussein Sefian, CEO of Acre Impact Capital, said: “RMB’s investment in the Fund demonstrates the positive role that African financial institutions are playing in supporting the financing of climate-aligned essential infrastructure in Africa. We are pleased to have received commitments from premier African investors such as RMB.”