The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and ZEP-RE (PTA Reinsurance Company) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at building professional and institutional capacity across trade, insurance, reinsurance, risk management and trade facilitation in Africa.
The agreement unites Afreximbank Academy (AFRACAD) and ZEP-RE Academy, enabling the two training arms to jointly develop and scale learning, research and knowledge initiatives.
The MoU was signed at ZEP-RE’s Nairobi headquarters by Mr. Stephen Kauma, Group Managing Director for Human Resources at Afreximbank, and Mr. Jephita Gwatipedza, Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer at ZEP-RE.
By pairing Afreximbank’s expertise in African trade and trade finance with ZEP-RE’s depth in insurance, reinsurance and risk management, the two organizations aim to deliver practical training that strengthens the skills of professionals, institutions and market participants supporting Africa’s trade and investment growth.
Three Pillars of Collaboration
The three-year partnership will see AFRACAD and ZEP-RE Academy collaborate across three main areas:
- Joint digital content creation — The two academies will co-produce e-learning courses, toolkits and African case studies using a shared “content factory” model that identifies key themes and converts them into reusable learning materials, distributed via AFRACAD’s digital platform and/or ZEP-RE Academy’s Learning Management System.
- Professional and executive development programmes — Covering risk and reinsurance, trade guarantees, trade facilitation, financial infrastructure and market development, offered as short courses, executive masterclasses, certifications and blended in-person/virtual formats.
- Research and thought leadership — Joint studies, webinars, policy dialogues and industry forums bringing together practitioners, regulators, development partners and private-sector leaders to tackle emerging market challenges.
Leadership Perspectives
Speaking at the signing, Mr. Stephen Kauma 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 added:
“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.”
Building on an Existing Partnership
This MoU extends a collaboration that dates back to 2025, when Afreximbank and ZEP-RE launched the Trans-Africa Bond Alliance (TABA) to boost insurance capacity, ease cross-border trade and support the smooth movement of goods and investment across the continent.
Since launching in June 2025, TABA has backed roughly $185 million in bonds during 2025 and a further $280 million in the first quarter of 2026, drawing risk from 24 cedents across five countries. TABA underpins Afreximbank’s African Collaborative Transit Guarantee Scheme (AACTGS) and supports the broader AfCFTA trade facilitation agenda by promoting a harmonized, tech-enabled approach to cross-border transit guarantees.
The AACTGS itself is backed by $1 billion in guarantee limits, including a $300 million facility run jointly with ZEP-RE in the COMESA region — designed to cut reliance on multiple national transit bonds, free up working capital tied up as collateral, and make cross-border trade more efficient and predictable.
The new MoU pushes this collaboration further into capacity building, developing the technical expertise and institutional knowledge that increasingly sophisticated trade, insurance and risk solutions demand.
Together, the partners hope to grow a stronger pool of African expertise equipped to handle complex challenges at the crossroads of trade, finance, insurance and risk — while advancing regional integration and sustainable economic development across Africa.
The MoU runs for an initial three years, with the option to renew by mutual agreement.
