IFC and Standard Chartered partner on supply chain finance to support African businesses

Washington, DC — The World Bank Group, through its private sector arm – the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – and Standard Chartered today announced a new risk sharing facility aimed at strengthening supply chains and boosting business growth across Africa. This partnership will introduce supply chain finance solutions in eight markets – Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia – supporting companies in key sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing. By doing so, the facility will help ensure their suppliers get faster payments, freeing up the working capital they need to improve production, pay wages, and hire.

The risk-sharing facility will cover up to $300 million in supply chain and trade finance assets originated by Standard Chartered in Africa. It comprises a range of underlying supply chain financing instruments – such as payables finance, receivables discounting, and pre-shipment finance programs – which can help smaller businesses get paid earlier, reduce the cost of working capital, and invest in growth. This strengthens linkages between buyers and suppliers, improves delivery reliability, and ultimately supports job creation throughout the value chain.

IFC will provide guarantees for up to $150 million from its own account, with $100 million committed as the first tranche under the program, to support transactions in both US dollars and selected local currencies.

Over the next three years, the partnership is projected to enable about $1.9 billion in supply chain finance transactions, providing access to finance for businesses across Africa. It aims to support more than 500 suppliers, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), in both domestic and global value chains, with the potential to indirectly benefit over 1 million farmers.

“Supply chain finance is among the fastest ways to narrow the growing finance gap that businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises, are facing in emerging economies,” said Mohamed Gouled, IFC’s Vice President, Products & Clients. “By partnering with Standard Chartered to support companies at the center of strategic value chains, we can unlock much-needed working capital at scale for businesses across Africa, including smaller firms and farmers, making supply chains more competitive and boosting job creation.”

Dalu Ajene, Chief Executive and Head of Coverage, Standard Chartered Africa, said: “This $300 million facility with IFC underscores our shared commitment to strengthening Africa’s supply chains and enabling sustainable business growth. As a super-connector bank with deep expertise across key trade corridors linking Africa to Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas, we are uniquely positioned to channel capital and innovation into the real economy. By expanding access to supply chain finance, we are helping African companies unlock liquidity, manage risk, and invest with confidence. Our collaboration unites Standard Chartered’s cross-border expertise with IFC’s development mandate to empower businesses – from major corporations to smaller local suppliers – to engage more actively in regional and global trade, fostering job creation and promoting inclusive growth.”

Global demand for supply chain finance has surged – in 2025, the estimated volume reached about $2.7 trillion, showing an 8% increase year-on-year. Yet supply chain finance has not scaled at the same pace in emerging markets, especially in lower income and fragile contexts, largely because commercial banks tend to focus on developed markets. This facility aims to mitigate risk in portfolios of short-term trade and supply chain assets, expanding access in markets where capital is scarce.

This is IFC’s first project under the Global Supply Chain Finance Program and the Africa Trade and Supply Chain Recovery Initiative supported by the International Development Association (IDA) Private Sector Window Blended Finance Facility.

For further information please contact:

Nicola Vesco
IFC

Celine Ng
Standard Chartered

About IFC

IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2025, IFC committed a record $71.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging private sector solutions and mobilising private capital to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. For more information, visit www.ifc.org. Stay connected with IFC on social media.