Africa Finance Corporation maintains strong financial and operational performance in 2017
4 May 2018
Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Africa’s leading infrastructure multilateral development finance institution, today announces its 2017 financial year results.
Highlights include:
- US$109.2 million for the year in Total Comprehensive Income, US$100.3 million in Net Profit for the Year
- U$4.2 billion Total Assets – 21% year on year growth in balance sheet
- US$1.5 billion Total Equity
- US$142.7 million in Net Interest Income up 21% year-on-year
- US$29.7 million in fees, commissions, dividend and other Income, up 36%
- All time low cost-to-income ratio of 19%
- US$1.5 billion liquidity position
Strong underlying operating results – Key milestones include:
- Three new member states in 2017 – Kenya, Zambia, Benin, with Malawi joining in 2018 – AFC now has 18 Member States.
- Additional Equity investors- one Sovereign Investor (Ghana) in 2017, with African Reinsurance Corporation becoming the first multilateral institution investor in January 2018.
- Inaugurated two ports built in record time by Gabon Special Economic Zone, an AFC investee company. The mineral and general-purpose port, at Owendo, will enable the diversification of the Gabonese economy.
- Closed the Anergi transaction, a joint venture with Harith General Partners creating a power company with a 1,786MW gross energy generation capacity that will supply reliable energy to up to 30 million people in 5 countries.
- Led an international consortium to invest US$205 million in Bel-Air bauxite mining in Guinea-Conakry, one of the largest foreign investments in the country since the 2014 Ebola crisis.
- Became the first African multilateral finance institution to issue a Sukuk bond – the highest rated by an African supranational entity.
- Raised US$500m 7-year Eurobond that was 5 times oversubscribed.
Andrew Alli, President and CEO, AFC commented on the results:
“2017 has seen a robust performance in the face of challenging conditions. Despite a year marked by fiscal challenges, fewer bankable projects, and a market-wide reduction in terms of investment, AFC delivered strong underlying results, as the above numbers show.
“Operationally, AFC also maintained its momentum, welcoming Kenya, Zambia and Benin as new member states, pioneering innovative funding instruments such as our oversubscribed Sukuk, and continuing to enable numerous successful infrastructure projects that will transform the economies we invest in.
“AFC marked its tenth anniversary in 2017, coinciding with my last year as President and CEO. I am proud to report that over the last decade, AFC has evolved from a start-up to a powerful force on the continent that is at the forefront of addressing Africa’s infrastructure deficit. We have demonstrated that Africa Infrastructure is a viable asset class and that investors can contribute to long- term sustainable growth of the continent in a way that generates strong returns.
“It has been a great privilege to lead a team that is driven by this purpose. In its first decade, AFC has grown profit from US$4.4 million to US$100.3 million an approximate 20-fold increase, paid aggregate dividends of US$304.4 million to its shareholders and elevated the Corporation to the second-best rated lending institution in Africa. With the balance sheet and track record in place to deliver the infrastructure financing that will help Africa to fulfil its potential, AFC is well placed for its next decade of growth, to the benefit for all its stakeholders.”
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About AFC – www.africafc.org
AFC, an investment grade multilateral finance institution, was established in 2007 with an equity capital base of US$1 billion, to be the catalyst for private sector-led infrastructure investment across Africa. With a current balance sheet of approximately US$4.2 billion, AFC is the second highest investment grade rated multilateral financial institution in Africa with an A3/P2 (Stable outlook) rating from Moody’s Investors Service. AFC successfully raised US$750 million in 2015 and US$500 million in 2017; out of its Board-approved US$3 Billion Global Medium- Term Note (MTN) Programme. Both Eurobond issues were oversubscribed and attracted investors from Asia, Europe and the USA.
AFC’s investment approach combines specialist industry expertise with a focus on financial and technical advisory, project structuring, project development and risk capital to address Africa’s infrastructure development needs and drive sustainable economic growth. AFC invests in high-quality infrastructure assets that provide essential services in the core infrastructure sectors of power, natural resources, heavy industry, transport, and telecommunications. To date, the Corporation has invested approximately US$4 billion in projects within 28 countries across North, East, West and Southern Africa.