China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd. (CCXI) has affirmed the African Export-Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) AAA issuer credit rating with a Stable outlook for the second year running, reinforcing the Bank’s financial strength and its strategic significance on the continent.
In its 2026 Credit Rating Report on the Bank, released in Beijing on 30 July, CCXI said it expects the rating to hold steady over the next 12 to 18 months.
The report pointed to a number of factors underpinning the Bank’s credit strength, citing its high strategic positioning, sound risk management, flexible business development, strong profitability, prudent liquidity management, and a very high ratio of current assets to short-term debt coverage — all of which, CCXI said, lend solid support to the Bank’s overall creditworthiness.
Commenting on the rating, Mr. Chandi Mwenebungu, Managing Director, Treasury & Markets and Treasurer said:
“CCXI’s affirmation of our AAA rating for a second consecutive year is a strong endorsement of Afreximbank’s financial strength, disciplined risk management and enduring relevance to Africa and Global Africa. It demonstrates our ability to deliver on our mandate, support our member states through periods of uncertainty and mobilise capital from the breadth and depth of diverse funding pools across local and global markets, while maintaining the financial resilience and institutional strength expected of a leading multilateral development bank.”
The rating also strengthens Afreximbank’s access to diversified funding sources, particularly within China, while boosting its presence and profile in one of the world’s largest and most influential capital markets. In 2025, the Bank issued its inaugural RMB2.2 billion Panda bond — becoming the first African multilateral development institution to enter the Panda bond market — and later became a direct participant in China’s Cross-border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), further cementing its role in supporting China-Africa trade, investment flows, and broader partnerships.
CCXI’s affirmation follows S&P Global Ratings’ earlier decision this year to assign Afreximbank ‘BBB+’ long-term and ‘A-2’ short-term issuer credit ratings, also with a Stable outlook. The Bank additionally holds investment-grade ratings from GCR (A), the Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-), and Moody’s (Baa2).