The African Export-Import Bank (AfreximBank) and ZEP-RE have signed a three-year agreement to strengthen professional and institutional capacity in trade, insurance, reinsurance, risk management and trade facilitation across Africa.
The memorandum of understanding brings together Afreximbank Academy, known as AFRACAD, and ZEP-RE Academy to jointly develop training, research and knowledge programmes aimed at strengthening the skills of professionals and institutions supporting Africa’s expanding trade and investment markets.
The agreement was signed in Nairobi by Stephen Tio Kauma, Group Managing Director for Human Resources at Afreximbank, and Jephita Gwatipedza, Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of ZEP-RE.
Under the partnership, the two institutions will develop digital learning materials, including e-learning courses, toolkits and African case studies, through a joint content-development programme. The materials will be distributed through AFRACAD’s digital platform and ZEP-RE Academy’s learning management system.
The institutions will also jointly deliver professional and executive programmes covering areas including risk and reinsurance, trade guarantees, trade facilitation, financial infrastructure and market development. The programmes may include short courses, executive masterclasses and certification programmes delivered in person, virtually or through blended formats.
A third area of cooperation will focus on research and knowledge creation through joint studies, webinars, policy dialogues and industry forums involving practitioners, regulators, development partners and private-sector leaders.
“Africa’s ability to expand trade and investment depends on more than financial resources and infrastructure. It also depends on knowledge, skills and institutional capacity across our markets,” Kauma said.
He said the partnership would combine Afreximbank’s expertise in trade and trade finance with ZEP-RE’s experience in insurance, reinsurance and risk management to develop practical learning programmes for professionals and institutions across Africa.
Gwatipedza said sustainable trade expansion also requires institutions to have the capacity to understand, price and manage the risks associated with cross-border commerce.
“This partnership will connect trade finance with insurance and reinsurance expertise, helping to build stronger institutional capability across African markets,” he said.
Building on Trade Guarantee Cooperation
The agreement extends an existing relationship between the two institutions. In 2025, Afreximbank and ZEP-RE launched the Trans-Africa Bond Alliance (TABA) , to strengthen insurance capacity and facilitate the movement of goods and investment across African borders.
TABA supported about $185 million in bonds in 2025 and $280 million during the first quarter of 2026, with risks originating from 24 cedents across five countries, according to the information provided by the institutions.
The alliance supports Afreximbank’s African Collaborative Transit Guarantee Scheme, which is designed to reduce the need for multiple national transit bonds and free up working capital tied to collateral requirements.
The wider scheme has $1 billion in guarantee limits, including a $300 million facility being implemented with ZEP-RE in the Common Market for the Eastern and Southern Africa region.
The capacity-building agreement comes as African financial institutions seek to develop common approaches to trade finance, insurance and transit guarantees in support of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
By extending their cooperation into training and research, Afreximbank and ZEP-RE aim to build a larger pool of professionals with expertise spanning trade finance, insurance and risk management.
The MoU will initially run for three years and may be renewed by mutual agreement.
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