Citi has signed a risk-sharing deal with British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution, as part of plans to increase its supply chain finance volumes in Africa.
The US$100mn master guarantee facility will see BII – which was formerly known as the CDC Group before a rebrand this year – act as a guarantor for supply chain finance facilities provided by Citi to SME suppliers and underserved segments, with the bank saying that it will be able to increase its annual SCF volumes in the continent by up to US$400mn as a result.
BII and Citi have agreed to set impact criteria to ensure that flexible capital is being directed toward underserved groups, women-owned businesses and enterprises targeted by the South African government’s Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment programme, which encourages businesses to integrate black people in the workplace, support black businesses, and give back to black communities affected by land repossession.
