Trade and Development Bank -TDB

What Trade and Development Bank -TDB does

Trade and Development Bank (TDB), legally the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank, is a multilateral, treaty-based development finance institution established on 6 November 1985 pursuant to Chapter 9 of the PTA/COMESA Treaty. Originally branded as PTA Bank and renamed TDB in 2017, the institution is owned by 41 sovereign and institutional shareholders across COMESA, EAC, and SADC member states, with the charter limiting any single shareholder to 15% of equity. It serves 22+ economies in Eastern and Southern Africa through dual headquarters in Bujumbura (Burundi) and Ebene (Mauritius) plus regional offices in Nairobi, Harare, and Addis Ababa, holding investment-grade credit ratings from Moody's (Baa3), GCR (BBB), Fitch, AAA from China's CCXI, and A from Japan's JCR.

TDB's core product set comprises trade finance (letters of credit, working-capital support for importers/exporters), project and infrastructure finance (railways, ports, mining, airports, energy), and asset management services. The Group ecosystem extends through five wholly-owned subsidiaries: Trade and Development Fund (TDF) for blended finance to SMEs and women/youth-led enterprises; Eastern and Southern African Trade Fund (ESATF), managed by ESATAL, for trade finance risk-sharing; TDB Captive Insurance Company (TCI) launched in 2022; and TDB Academy for capacity building. TDB generated a USD 5.8 billion gross loan portfolio in 2021 (6% growth year-on-year), with trade finance growing 16% and accounting for roughly two-thirds of the book; non-performing loans held around 3%, and 69% of the energy portfolio is in renewables.

TDB earns revenue primarily through net interest income on its loan portfolio, supplemented by arrangement, advisory, guarantee, and co-financing fees, plus funding-cost arbitrage from issuing Eurobonds and syndicated debt at investment-grade spreads in international capital markets. Go-to-market is exclusively institutional: bilateral negotiations with sovereigns, parastatals, corporates, and financial institutions, plus syndicated and co-financed structures with peer DFIs (World Bank, AfDB, EIB, AFD, FMO, JBIC, KfW, BADEA). Distribution relies on direct relationship-based engagement rather than retail channels; the 2024 SACE Push Facility with SMBC and Citi, the 2024 Mashreq-led AED-denominated loan, and the 2026 SMBC sustainability-linked loan illustrate active diversification of funding instruments and currencies.

Name

Trade and Development Bank -TDB

Legal name

Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank

Website

https://tdbgroup.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Trade and Development Bank (TDB) is a multilateral, treaty-based development finance institution serving 22 Eastern and Southern African member states with trade finance, project finance, and asset management, backed by 41 sovereign and institutional shareholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Development Finance

NAICS

Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), Commercial Banking (52211)

SIC

Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) (FSABAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Infrastructure & Project Finance Development Banks (FSABAKAD), Regional Development Banks (BPADACAB), Agricultural & Rural Development Banks (FSABAKAE)

Keywords

• Development finance
• Trade finance
• Project finance
• Infrastructure financing
• Asset management

Headquarters

HQ city

Ebène

HQ country

Mauritius

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Lending: TDB generates primary revenue through interest income on its loan portfolio, providing trade finance, project finance, and infrastructure financing to sovereigns and corporates across 22 member states.
2. Capital Markets Issuances: TDB issues Eurobonds and other debt instruments in international capital markets, with successful benchmark-sized issuances attracting significant oversubscription.
3. Fee-based Services: TDB earns fees from arrangement, advisory, guarantee, and co-financing services provided to clients and partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TDB is a multilateral, treaty-based development finance institution providing trade finance, project and infrastructure finance, and asset management services to sovereigns, corporates, and financial institutions across 22 member states in Eastern and Southern Africa. The bank funds cross-border trade, infrastructure development, energy access, and SME financing through bilateral loans, syndicated facilities, Eurobond issuances, guarantees, and blended finance vehicles.

Product overview

TDB is a multilateral development finance institution offering an integrated suite of financial products and services. The core offerings include Trade Finance and Project & Infrastructure Finance, supported by Asset Management capabilities. The TDB Group ecosystem comprises the Trade and Development Fund (TDF) for blended finance, the Eastern and Southern African Trade Fund (ESATF) for trade finance risk-sharing, TDB Captive Insurance Company (TCI) for risk management, and the TDB Academy for capacity building. The SME Programme provides specialized financing for underserved enterprises, while Zafiri is a new blended finance vehicle for distributed renewable energy investments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Trade and Development Fund (TDF): Blended finance solutions for financially underserved groups including SMEs, women and youth
• Eastern and Southern African Trade Fund (ESATF)
• TDB Captive Insurance Company (TCI)
• TDB Academy

Products and services

• Trade Finance Primary financing solution providing trade finance facilities, letters of credit, and working capital support for importers and exporters across member states; trade finance accounts for about two-thirds of TDB's loan book.
• Project & Infrastructure Finance Long-term financing for infrastructure projects including railways, mining, ports, airports, and energy projects across Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Senegal.
• Asset Management Management of trade funds, green bonds, and investment products for institutional investors, led by the Executive Director of Asset Management.
• Trade and Development Fund (TDF) Blended finance solutions for financially underserved groups including SMEs, women and youth-led enterprises across the region.
• Eastern and Southern African Trade Fund (ESATF) Trade fund providing trade finance support and risk-sharing facilities for regional trade operations, managed by ESATAL.
• TDB Captive Insurance Company (TCI) Captive insurance subsidiary providing insurance solutions for TDB's portfolio and risk management.
• Zafiri Blended Finance Platform Blended permanent-capital investment vehicle channeling long-term equity into private sector distributed renewable energy (DRE) companies across sub-Saharan Africa, supporting Mission 300's goal of connecting 300 million people to electricity by 2030.

Quantifiable outcome

• Portfolio grew by 6% to USD 5.8bn in 2021
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Zafiri (Inspired Evolution)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026TDB Group is a founding shareholder of Zafiri, a USD 176 million blended finance platform for distributed renewable energy across sub-Saharan Africa, supporting Mission 300's goal of connecting 300 million people to electricity by 2030.
• Mota-Engil AfricaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2026TDB Group and Mota-Engil Africa expanded their syndicated facility by USD 100 million to USD 250 million total, financing infrastructure projects including railway, mining, ports, and airports across Angola, DRC, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Senegal.
• China Everbright GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEG and TDB signed Green Finance Cooperation Protocol to drive green infrastructure finance in clean energy, waste treatment, and green technology.
• SBM Bank (Mauritius)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSBM Bank and TDB signed MOU for business development, co-financing, and capacity building collaboration.
• dltledgerscoreTechnology or IntegrationTDB became the first African DFI to close a live end-to-end trade finance transaction using blockchain technology with dltledgers.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• African Development Bank Group (AfDB): AfDB is the continent's largest multilateral development bank and a direct institutional shareholder of TDB. It provides comparable trade finance, project finance, and infrastructure lending across Africa, and TDB frequently co-finances transactions with AfDB, positioning it as both shareholder and operational peer in the same client segments.
• International Finance Corporation (IFC): IFC is the World Bank Group's private-sector arm and a co-founder of the Zafiri platform alongside TDB. IFC operates across emerging markets with a similar private-sector development mandate, providing trade and project finance in overlapping client segments, and shares TDB's blended finance and ESG focus.
• European Investment Bank (EIB): EIB has extended approximately USD 400M+ in credit lines and a 12-year EUR 81.5M facility to TDB. As a long-tenor infrastructure and development lender with a global footprint including Africa, EIB is a key counterparty and structural peer in infrastructure and project finance, particularly in fragile contexts.
• KfW Development Bank: KfW has provided long-term USD 100M infrastructure lines of credit to TDB. KfW is a leading European bilateral development bank with similar concessional and non-concessional lending instruments targeting infrastructure, climate, and SME finance in Africa, making it a structural peer in project and development finance.
• Agence Française de Développement (AFD): AFD has provided TDB with USD 150M green infrastructure credit lines and a USD 120M climate credit facility. AFD is a French bilateral development bank with overlapping focus on climate finance, infrastructure, and African development, positioning it as both a capital provider and a direct operational peer.
• British International Investment (BII): BII (formerly CDC Group) has been a recurring Class B shareholder and debt provider to TDB, with USD 100M facilities in both 2020 and 2024. BII is the UK's development finance institution with comparable trade finance, infrastructure lending, and SME focus across African markets.
• FMO (Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank): FMO co-led the USD 50M d.light facility with TDB and Mirova SunFunder and operates as a development bank with similar mandates in renewable energy, financial institutions, and SMEs across Africa and emerging markets.
• OPEC Fund for International Development: OPEC Fund is both a Class B shareholder and a credit line provider (USD 130M lines) to TDB. As a multilateral development institution providing trade finance, project finance, and concessional loans across developing countries including Africa, it operates in overlapping product categories and geographies.
• Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC): JBIC has provided TDB with a USD 350M export credit line—the largest of its kind with the longest tenor. JBIC is a Japanese policy-based financial institution supporting Japanese equipment exports and infrastructure projects across Africa, mirroring TDB's mandate in trade and infrastructure finance.

Direct peers

• Africa Finance Corporation (AFC): AFC was appointed alongside TDB as a transaction adviser for Kenya's USD 1.2B JKIA expansion project. AFC is a privately-held African multilateral development finance institution investing in infrastructure, energy, and industrial projects, making it one of the closest direct institutional peers to TDB across Africa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tdb-trade-and-development-bank

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds12 records

Investors5 records

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M&A

Investments16 records

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Frequently asked questions about Trade and Development Bank -TDB