Awards for Excellence 2020
|
|
Deutsche Bank’s commitment to Africa’s economic development began long before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, but the bank’s expertise in infrastructure and structured finance will be essential in supporting the continent’s recovery and in helping to address the long-term concerns holding back development.
Foreign investment is likely to dwindle in the ensuing economic downturn, but the German bank has maintained its commitment. As recently as May, it announced the co-financing of two new regional hospitals and five medical units in Côte d’Ivoire.
Its head of emerging markets structuring is Claire Coustar.
The hospitals, one located in Adzope, to the north of Abidjan, and the other in Aboisso to the east, will together have a capacity of about 400 beds and will greatly improve the availability of healthcare services in each region.
|
|
|
Claire Coustar |
In January 2019, Deutsche financed the construction of four hospitals in Ghana, and in February this year, the Komfo Anoykye teaching hospital in the same country.
The bank’s structuring expertise and balance sheet is being put to work across Africa to navigate the economic downturn. For example, it has arranged a €300 million amortizing loan with a 12-year tenor for Côte d’Ivoire Energies, the state-owned electricity company.
The economic impact of Covid-19 has refocused attention on the level of external debt built up in many African countries. Debt relief initiatives have prompted concerns that they will be penalized when they return to the capital markets for financing.
Deutsche has played an integral role in this situation, arranging a $1 billion bond for the Gabonese Republic, as well as leading deals for the Republic of Angola and South Africa in 2019.
It has also worked extensively with Miga, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, the World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB) and other multilateral development institutions to channel essential funds to countries across the continent.
