ECIC

What ECIC does

ECIC is South Africa's state-owned national export credit agency, established in 2001 under the Export Credit and Foreign Investments Insurance Act, 1957. The corporation provides political and commercial risk insurance to South African exporters of capital goods and related services operating outside South Africa, as well as investment insurance for South African entities investing in foreign jurisdictions. As the sole domestic export credit agency with a legislative mandate, ECIC offers sovereign-backed risk mitigation that enables banks to finance transactions that would otherwise lack adequate cover, distinguishing it from private commercial insurers on both capacity and pricing of long-tenor political risk.

ECIC's product portfolio spans Medium to Long-Term (MLT) products including Export Credit Insurance, Investment Insurance, Bond Insurance, Small and Medium Transactions, Lease and Return, and the Black Industrialists Support Programme, alongside Short-Term Insurance delivered through Trade Credit Insurance. Supporting tools include an ECA Calculator for transaction assessment and Country and Sector Reports for market intelligence. Distribution operates through direct enterprise engagement, banking sector partnerships with major South African and international banks (Absa, Standard Bank, Nedbank, Investec, Standard Chartered, Citi, BNP Paribas, JP Morgan, HSBC), government trade agency collaborations (dtic, IDC, DBSA), provincial economic development agencies, and sector-specific export councils (SACEEC, SAEEC, SABBEX, BEPEC, MIASA, RRA). Notable supported projects include Firestone Diamonds' Liqhobong Mine, the US$296m Beitbridge Border Project, Mozambique LNG infrastructure, and an Intra-Africa Trade Facility with IDC for the steel sector.

Revenue is generated primarily through insurance premiums on a multi-year, quote-based pricing model determined by transaction risk profile, country risk, and coverage requirements. ECIC is self-sustained under government ownership, with operations overseen by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic). The company is pursuing expansion through the planned establishment of a South African Export-Import Bank (targeted 2027/28) to address a R151.2bn trade finance gap, the Afreximbank Class A shareholding partnership providing access to an $8bn country package, and bilateral reinsurance agreements with NEXI (Japan) and KUKE (Poland).

Name

ECIC

Legal name

Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa SOC Ltd

Website

https://ecic.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ECIC is South Africa's state-owned national export credit agency, established in 2001, providing political and commercial risk insurance to South African exporters of capital goods and investors operating abroad. It serves enterprises and SMEs through banking, government, and sector partnerships, with continental expansion underway via Afreximbank and the planned SA EximBank.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Export Credit Insurance

NAICS

Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (52412)

SIC

Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)

akta.pro primary industry

Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) & Trade Finance Institutions (BPADACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) & Official Export Finance (FSABAKAC), Trade Finance, Export Credit & Risk Mitigation (BPADAMAG)

Keywords

• Export credit insurance
• Political risk insurance
• Investment insurance
• Trade credit insurance
• Export finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Centurion

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Export Credit Insurance: Political and commercial risk insurance for South African exporters of capital goods and related services outside South Africa
2. Investment Insurance: Insurance cover for South African business entities investing in foreign countries
3. Bond Insurance: Performance Bond Insurance Scheme working with banks and financial institutions
4. Small and Medium Transactions: Tailored insurance for small and medium-sized export transactions
5. Trade Credit Insurance: Short-term insurance for trade credit protection

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ECIC is South Africa's state-owned national export credit agency that provides political and commercial risk insurance to South African exporters of capital goods and related services. Established in 2001 under the Export Credit and Foreign Investments Insurance Act, 1957, it offers medium to long-term products (Export Credit Insurance, Investment Insurance, Bond Insurance, Small and Medium Transactions, Lease and Return, Black Industrialists Support Programme) and short-term products (Trade Credit Insurance). ECIC enables South African businesses to manage export-related risks and access trade finance through risk mitigation.

Product overview

ECIC (Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa SOC Ltd) operates as a self-sustained, state-owned national export credit agency established in 2001. The company provides a unified portfolio of political and commercial risk insurance products and services for South African exporters. The core offering consists of Medium to Long-Term (MLT) products including Export Credit Insurance, Investment Insurance, Bond Insurance, Small and Medium Transactions, Lease and Return, and the Black Industrialists Support Programme. Short-Term Insurance (STI) is delivered through Trade Credit Insurance. Supporting these core products is an ECA Calculator tool for transaction assessment and Country & Sector Reports providing market intelligence. All products work together to facilitate and encourage South African export trade under the Export Credit and Foreign Investments Insurance Act, 1957.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Export Credit Insurance Political and commercial risk insurance cover for South African exporters of capital goods and related services engaged in transactions outside South Africa.
• Investment Insurance Insurance cover targeting South African business entities that want to invest in foreign countries, protecting against political and commercial risks.
• Bond Insurance Performance Bond Insurance Scheme enabling ECIC to work with banks and other financial institutions to provide bond insurance for capital equipment exports.
• Small and Medium Transactions Tailored programme catering for transactions in two categories, supporting SMEs with export credit insurance solutions.
• Lease and Return Insurance cover focusing on capital equipment that may not be owned outright by the export contractor, enabling lease arrangements.
• Black Industrialists Support Programme Programme aligned with the NDP vision to support Black Industrialists in embracing their full potential through export facilitation.
• Trade Credit Insurance Short-term insurance product providing coverage for trade receivables and credit risks for exporters.
• Country and Sector Reports Reports written in line with ECIC's mandate to facilitate and encourage South African export trade, covering country ratings and sector-specific analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• R151.2bn trade finance gap to be addressed through proposed eximbank
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• NEXI (Nippon Export Credit Insurance)majorTechnology or Integration · 21 August 2025ECIC and NEXI signed a groundbreaking reinsurance agreement at TICAD9 in Yokohama. This agreement enables risk-sharing between the two export credit agencies and strengthens ECIC's capacity to support South African exporters.
• AfreximbankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 August 2025South Africa acceded as a class A shareholder of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), gaining access to an $8bn country package for industrialisation, infrastructure development and regional integration. This partnership positions ECIC within the continental trade finance ecosystem and provides a complement to ECIC's existing services rather than competition.
• KUKEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2025Poland's and South Africa's export credit agencies KUKE and ECIC concluded a cooperation agreement to strengthen trade ties between the two countries. This partnership facilitates bilateral trade support and information sharing between the ECAs.
• IDC (Industrial Development Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 August 2023IDC partnered with ECIC to establish an Intra-Africa Trade Facility to cover both commercial and political risks, supporting the South African steel industry and greater export efforts. This facility enables joint risk assessment and coverage for intra-African trade transactions.
• Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECIC collaborates extensively with the dtic on export promotion initiatives, including the Black Industrialists Support Programme, SME export readiness programs, and participation in international trade events like Dubai Expo.
• South African BankscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorECIC works with major South African financial institutions including Absa, Standard Bank, Nedbank, Investec, Standard Chartered, Citi, BNP Paribas, JP Morgan, and HSBC to provide export credit insurance that enables banks to finance export transactions.
• Provincial Economic Development AgenciesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorECIC partners with provincial agencies including GGDA, TIL, TIKZN, MEGA, FDC, ECDC, NWDC, WESGRO, and NCEDA for regional exporter outreach and support.
• Export CouncilsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorECIC collaborates with export councils including SACEEC, SAEEC, SABBEX, BEPEC, MIASA, and RRA to reach sector-specific exporters and provide targeted insurance solutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• US Export-Import Bank (US EXIM): U.S. federal ECA providing export credit insurance, loan guarantees, and direct loans; functionally equivalent to ECIC as a national ECA, though operating at much larger scale across global markets.
• Coface: French-headquartered global trade credit insurer serving exporters and SMEs with credit insurance, surety bonds, and economic research—directly comparable to ECIC's Trade Credit Insurance and SME offerings.
• African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank): Continental trade finance institution headquartered in Cairo; serves as both a partner and a broader incumbent providing trade finance, export credit, and project finance across Africa, with overlapping mandate on intra-African trade and South Africa's $8bn country package.
• Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) of South Africa: South African state-owned development finance institution partnering with ECIC on the Intra-Africa Trade Facility for the steel sector; broader mandate across industrial funding makes IDC a domestic peer in development and export financing.
• UK Export Finance (UKEF): United Kingdom's statutory ECA offering export credit insurance, guarantees, and buyer credit; a direct functional peer to ECIC, particularly relevant given shared Commonwealth trade corridors and SME export support programs.
• Euler Hermes (Allianz Trade): World's largest trade credit insurer, owned by Allianz; competes with ECIC in the short-term trade credit insurance segment for South African exporters and global counterparties.
• Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA): South African state-owned DFI funding infrastructure and development across Southern Africa; partners with ECIC on export-related projects, sharing a development finance mandate and government ownership profile.
• SACE (now Simest Group): Italian export credit agency offering political and commercial risk insurance, surety, and factoring for Italian exporters; provides a comparable product portfolio to ECIC, including bond insurance and SME-focused schemes.

Direct peers

• NEXI (Nippon Export and Investment Insurance): Japan's state-owned export credit agency offering export credit insurance, investment insurance, and trade finance; ECIC signed a reinsurance agreement with NEXI at TICAD9 (Aug 2025), making it a direct operational peer in the ECA reinsurance market.
• KUKE (Export Credit Insurance Corporation of Poland): Poland's national ECA providing export credit insurance and investment guarantees; ECIC and KUKE signed a bilateral cooperation agreement in March 2025 to strengthen trade ties, positioning KUKE as a structurally identical state-owned ECA peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ECICSA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCn4YfeM9gVtckz3nchp_YTg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ECICSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecicsa

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ECIC