By Sam Otuonye
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and ZEP-RE (PTA Reinsurance Company) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build professional and institutional capacity in trade, insurance, reinsurance, risk management and trade facilitation across Africa.
The MOU brings together Afreximbank Academy (AFRACAD) and ZEP-RE Academy to create and scale learning, research and knowledge programmes that combine their expertise.
The agreement was signed at ZEP-RE’s offices in Nairobi by Mr. Stephen Tio Kauma, Group Managing Director, Human Resources, Afreximbank, and Mr. Jephita Gwatipedza, Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, ZEP-RE.
By combining Afreximbank’s deep expertise in African trade and trade finance with ZEP-RE’s extensive experience in insurance, reinsurance and risk management, the two institutions will develop practical learning solutions that equip professionals, institutions and market participants with the skills and knowledge to strengthen Africa’s growing trade and investment ecosystem.
Under the three-year partnership, AFRACAD and ZEP-RE Academy will work together across three (3) strategic pillars:
The two institutions will co-create digital learning content, including e-learning courses, toolkits and African case studies, through a joint “content factory” approach that will identify thematic priorities and turn them into structured and reusable learning resources. These resources will be made available through AFRACAD’s digital learning platform and/or ZEP-RE Academy’s Learning Management System, expanding access to relevant learning across African markets.
Afreximbank and ZEP-RE will jointly design and deliver professional and executive development programmes in areas including risk and reinsurance, trade guarantees, trade facilitation, financial infrastructure and market development themes. These may include short courses, executive masterclasses, certification programmes and other structured learning, delivered in person, virtually or through blended formats.
The partnership will support research, knowledge creation and thought leadership through joint studies, webinars, policy dialogues and industry forums. These platforms will convene practitioners, regulators, development partners and private-sector leaders to exchange knowledge and develop practical responses to emerging market challenges.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr. Stephen Tio Kauma, Group Managing Director, Human Resources at Afreximbank, said:
“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. Through AFRACAD, Afreximbank has made capacity building central to its mandate of transforming Global African trade. Our partnership with ZEP-RE brings together complementary expertise in trade finance, insurance, reinsurance and risk management. By combining these strengths, we can build practical, scalable and Global Africa-focused learning and knowledge solutions that equip professionals and institutions with the skills and knowledge to drive greater trade and investment across the continent.”
Mr. Jephita Gwatipedza, Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer at ZEP-RE (PTA Reinsurance Company), remarked:
“Trade cannot expand sustainably unless the institutions that finance and facilitate it can also understand, price and manage the risks involved. This partnership will connect trade finance with insurance and reinsurance expertise, helping to build stronger institutional capability across African markets. Its success will ultimately be measured not by the number of programmes delivered, but by whether professionals and institutions are better equipped to support Africa’s evolving trade and investment landscape.”
The MoU builds on the existing partnership between Afreximbank and ZEP-RE. In 2025, the two institutions launched the Trans-Africa Bond Alliance (TABA) to strengthen insurance capacity, facilitate cross-border trade and support the efficient movement of goods and investment across Africa.
Since beginning operations in June 2025, TABA has supported approximately US$185 million in bonds in 2025 and US$280 million in the first quarter of 2026, with risks originating from 24 cedents across five countries. TABA supports Afreximbank’s African Collaborative Transit Guarantee Scheme (AACTGS) and the wider AfCFTA trade facilitation agenda by promoting a harmonised, technology-enabled approach to transit guarantees across African borders.
The wider African Collaborative Transit Guarantee Scheme is supported by US$1 billion in guarantee limits, including a US$300 million facility being implemented with ZEP-RE in the COMESA region. The initiative aims to reduce reliance on multiple national transit bonds, release working capital otherwise tied up as collateral and improve the efficiency and predictability of cross-border trade.
The MoU extends this collaboration into capacity building, strengthening the technical expertise and institutional knowledge needed for increasingly sophisticated trade, insurance and risk solutions across African markets.
The partnership will help build a stronger pool of African expertise capable of addressing increasingly complex issues at the intersection of trade, finance, insurance and risk, while supporting deeper regional integration and sustainable economic development across the continent.
The MoU will initially run for three (3) years and may be renewed by mutual agreement.
