AfrAsia Bank : A dedicated team to provide ongoing support to South African corporations

AfrAsia has strategically aligned itself with Mauritius’ ambitious vision of becoming a competitive gateway for directing trade and investment flows into the African continent. Leveraging its strong ground presence through the South African Representative Office and an extensive network, the bank is well positioned to promote Mauritius as an International Financial Centre (IFC) for South African corporations seeking to establish their corporate structures and financing arrangements in a corporatized structure, in order to expand their businesses across Africa.

To this end, the bank has established a dedicated team to provide ongoing support to these corporations in their day-to-day transactional requirements and debt funding requirements, ranging from short-term liquidity requirements to long-term capital expenditures. This has facilitated the seamless integration of South African businesses with Mauritian structures, thereby unlocking greater potential for growth and expansion.

Furthermore, AfrAsia has enabled Private Equity Funds based out of South Africa to leverage local liquidity in Mauritius to facilitate their funding requirements. This has allowed these funds to tap into a wider range of investment opportunities, thereby enhancing their returns and ultimately contributing to the growth of the African economy.

“AfrAsia Bank is focused on accompanying its clients in their existing business ventures and their expansion in Africa. The Bank is strategically positioned to meet the diverse financial needs of its customers through its transactional, global markets, and corporate funding capabilities. We have established robust relationships with influential stakeholders across Africa and Asia, ranging from institutional clients and private equity funds to conglomerates and development finance institutions (DFIs). These partnerships enable us to facilitate smooth trade and capital flows between the two continents. Our asset exposures are spread across several African countries and multiple Asian countries, including Singapore, Thailand, India, and Vietnam. As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing our expertise, we are exploring ways to expand our knowledge in key sectors, such as commodity financing, which have significant investments in Africa and Asia,” points out Navin Ramdoyal, Head of International Corporate (Africa) at AfrAsia Bank.

He adds that by leveraging their strong financial institution relationships across the African region, AfrAsia Bank is well positioned to extend its market reach and enable smooth trade flows for their clients. Their team of experienced relationship managers is dedicated to guiding clients through their projects and providing expert advice on the most effective and profitable ways to structure their financing requirements. AfrAsia Bank has also developed innovative, flexible, and attractive structures to finance its clients’ working capital and trade finance and term funding needs.

“It is crucial to acknowledge the persistent high-risk environment and support our clients by providing them with the necessary financial backing. However, we have recently observed that many borrowers are actively seeking diverse funding options such as wrap, guarantees, and DFI funding that prioritize sustainable development and social responsibility. This shift in approach enables corporates to expand their financing alternatives and match their ESG requirements with their funding sources, ultimately promoting a more sustainable financial ecosystem.