The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has extended a $10 million financing facility to Azania Bank Plc to expand access to credit for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Tanzania’s export-oriented sectors.
The facility, delivered through Afreximbank’s Export SME Development Programme (ESDP), will enable Azania Bank to provide working capital and medium-term financing for business expansion, asset acquisition and pre- and post-export operations, according to a statement.
The financing is aimed at addressing persistent credit constraints facing SMEs, while supporting productivity, export development and participation in regional and international value chains.
Azania Bank will on-lend the funds to eligible businesses operating in agriculture, manufacturing, trade, technology, logistics and value-added exports. The initiative aligns with Tanzania’s efforts to strengthen domestic production, diversify exports and deepen regional trade integration.
AfCFTA creates market opportunities
The programme is designed to help Tanzanian SMEs take advantage of opportunities emerging from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by improving their capacity to participate in cross-border trade and regional supply networks.
Beyond lending, Afreximbank will provide participating enterprises with business development support, including export readiness training, financial management advisory services, market linkages, digitalisation assistance and access to SME-focused knowledge and networking platforms.
The interventions are intended to improve competitiveness, strengthen business resilience and support sustainable enterprise growth.
“SMEs are the backbone of Africa’s productive economy and are critical to driving industrialisation, value addition and trade-led growth. However, many businesses continue to face significant barriers to accessing the financing, market opportunities and technical support needed to scale and compete effectively,” Oluranti Doherty, Managing Director of Export Development at Afreximbank, said.
She said the partnership with Azania Bank would combine financing with capacity building and market access support to help businesses expand into regional and global value chains.
Azania Bank expands SME financing
Yahaya Mbanka, Director of Business Development at Azania Bank Plc, said the facility would strengthen the lender’s ability to finance business growth and productive investment among Tanzanian SMEs.
“This facility will strengthen our ability to provide Tanzanian SMEs with the financing they need to grow their businesses, invest in productive capacity and pursue export opportunities. Our partnership with Afreximbank will also enable us to offer support that responds more closely to the needs of businesses operating across Tanzania’s key value chains,” Mbanka said.
The agreement comes as African financial institutions seek to close funding gaps that limit the ability of smaller businesses to scale, invest in production and access export markets.
Afreximbank’s 2025 Annual Trade Development Effectiveness Report (ATDER) shows that the bank extended more than $960 million to over 58,000 SMEs across Africa. The programme prioritised women- and youth-led enterprises, among others, and provided trade finance facilities intended to help businesses expand, engage in cross-border commerce and enter new markets.
The Tanzania facility supports Afreximbank’s broader mandate to promote trade, industrialisation and export development across the continent, while providing a financing channel for SMEs seeking to participate in regional supply chains.
