afb, a financial services company providing innovative consumer and SME financial products, has signed a US$20m investment deal with GEMCORP, an investment management firm with an emerging markets focus.
Commenting on the deal, afb CEO Karl Westvig said, “I am extremely pleased that afb has secured this new investment at an important time for the firm. The strategic investment by GEMCORP will help accelerate our growth strategy into sub-Saharan Africa.” afb currently operates in Ghana, Kenya, Zambia and Tanzania, and plans to expand into a number of other African countries by 2020, with innovative products and solutions designed to suit the needs of each market.
According to the World Bank Global Financial Index, there are over 400 million adults in sub-Saharan Africa still outside of the formal financial system. “afb aims to provide accessible, responsible and inclusive financial products to those who have been traditionally excluded, and in so doing give them the tools to improve their lives,” added Westvig.
Commenting on the investment, Atanas Bostandjiev, CEO of GEMCORP said: “Financial services is a key sector for our firm and we have been looking at the African market very closely, afb is a great investment opportunity for us. With its focus on driving financial inclusion through technology-based solutions, the company is poised for sustained and accelerated growth driven by the demand for access to credit amongst Africa’s growing middle class We highly value GEMCORP’s commitment to afb and its confidence in our vision and strategy for the company. We look forward to working together on the future development of afb.”
afb is a financial services company providing innovative consumer and SME credit products in sub-Saharan Africa. Committed to responsible lending, afb is the first to offer mass-market, voluntary repayment products in the markets in which it operates.
These products are delivered through technology-based solutions in partnership with mobile network operators, retail stores and other enterprises. afb has over 600,000 customers in Kenya, Ghana, Zambia and Tanzania, and over 450 retail partners.
Gemcorp Capital LLP (“GEMCORP”) is an investment management firm focused on Emerging Markets. It invests through private debt, public debt, equity and macro strategies. The firm is headquartered in London and has offices in Africa and Asia. It is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom.
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