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African Guarantee Fund and Vista Group Holding Partner to Boost Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) and Women-led Businesses Financing in West Africa

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African Guarantee Fund

The partnership leverages the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) Guarantee for Growth program that aims to unlock up to USD 3 billion in financing for Women SMEs in Africa

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LOME, Togo, January 16, 2024/APO Group/ — 

The African Guarantee Fund (AGF) (www.AGF.africa) has signed a landmark partnership agreement with Vista Group Holding to accelerate access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) including women-led businesses in four West African countries: Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone.

This collaboration will see AGF provide a loan portfolio guarantee of USD 50 million to support Vista Group Holding’s lending activities to SMEs across its network in the four target countries. The partnership aims to unlock growth opportunities for West Africa’s SMEs by scaling up SME financing and contributing to economic development in the region.

By focusing on underserved markets, the partnership will promote financial inclusion by increasing access to finance for entrepreneurs, including women-owned SMEs, green businesses, and youth entrepreneurs. The AGF’s risk-sharing guarantee will mitigate potential risks associated with SME lending, bolstering the financial stability of Vista Group and its subsidiaries.

“We are excited to partner with Vista Group, one of the largest leading players in the West African banking landscape,” said Jules Ngankam, Group Chief Executive Officer, AGF. “This collaboration will leverage our combined expertise and resources to unlock the immense potential of SMEs in the region, drive inclusive economic growth through increased access to financing.”

As a catalyst for regional collaboration, the partnership aligns with both AGF’s mission to promote economic development and reduce poverty in Africa, and Vista Bank Group’s ambition to become a leading pan-African financial institution focused on economic and financial inclusion.

This aligns with our goal to expand our footprint beyond the Guinean Market to ECOWAS and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CAEMAC)

Yao Kouassi, Managing Director of Vista Group Holding, added, “Partnering with AGF is a significant step in our mission to empower SMEs and contribute to financial inclusion across West Africa. This facility will enable us to expand our reach and provide crucial financial support to businesses that are driving economic development in these countries. This aligns with our goal to expand our footprint beyond the Guinean Market to ECOWAS and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CAEMAC).”

Additionally, the partnership leverages the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) Guarantee for Growth program that aims to unlock up to USD 3 billion in financing for Women SMEs in Africa through financial institutions.

“This partnership reflects the commitment of the African Development Bank, especially through the AFAWA initiative, to empower women entrepreneurs while promoting economic growth in the West African region,” said African Development Bank’s Togo Office Country Manager, Wilfrid Abiola, after the ceremony.  

“With 20% of this transaction allocated to women-led small and medium-sized enterprises, along with tailored technical assistance support provided by AFAWA, Vista Group Holding is taking the commitment to de-risk women-led businesses in their portfolio and making great strides in transforming access to finance for women-led small and medium enterprises in low-income countries and fragile states,” Abiola added. 

AGF will also avail a capacity development program tailored to each subsidiary based on their needs to further enhance the impact of the guarantee.

This partnership marks a significant milestone in AGF’s and Vista Bank Group’s commitment to supporting SMEs and driving inclusive economic growth in West Africa. By working together, the two organizations will empower entrepreneurs, create jobs, and contribute to a more prosperous future for the region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Guarantee Fund.

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Liquid Intelligent Technologies revitalises access to cloud and cyber security services in support of improved national digital resilience

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Liquid Intelligent Technologies

These services will be available to existing and potential customers in Botswana, and at the centre of the new offering is Secure360, the company’s integrated security framework

GABORONE, Botswana, May 13, 2026/APO Group/ –Liquid Intelligent Technologies (https://Liquid.Tech), a business of Cassava Technologies, a global technology leader, brings cloud and cyber security solutions and services to businesses and enterprises of all sizes in Botswana. The announcement comes as Liquid celebrates a decade of operations in the country.

 

These services will be available to existing and potential customers in Botswana, and at the centre of the new offering is Secure360, the company’s integrated security framework that enables organisations to move beyond reactive breach response towards proactive intelligence, protection and assurance. The solution combines local delivery with continental-scale infrastructure and global technology partnerships to provide organisations with enterprise-grade digital security and cloud capabilities aligned with national digital priorities.

When organisations engage with Liquid Intelligent Technologies in Botswana, they are connecting to the strength of Cassava’s integrated digital ecosystem

“Over the last decade, Liquid has deployed over 1174.08 km of fibre, bringing multi-terabit capacity and unmatched resilience to the region. By establishing a 730km backbone along the A1 road, we’ve positioned Botswana as a critical hub, linking networks from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan,” said Odirile Tamajobe, Managing Director of Liquid Intelligent Technologies Botswana. “Now, by bringing the cloud and cyber security services into the country, we are empowering local businesses with world-class digital solutions, ensuring they can compete and win on the global stage.”

The expansion of Liquid’s offerings in the market reflects the broader Cassava strategy to deliver integrated digital infrastructure and platforms through its One Cassava approach.

“When organisations engage with Liquid Intelligent Technologies in Botswana, they are connecting to the strength of Cassava’s integrated digital ecosystem,” said Ziaad Suleman, CEO of Cassava Technologies SA and Botswana. “Beyond cloud and cyber security, customers can access data centres, AI readiness reviews, and tailored technology journey roadmaps, all within a unified platform designed to support secure innovation and long-term digital resilience”.

As Botswana advances on its Vision 2036 ambitions to expand digital services across government, financial services, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure sectors, Cassava’s digital services aim to strengthen national digital resilience, fostering pride and confidence in the country’s progress.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Liquid Intelligent Technologies.

 

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Verdant IMAP Act as Financial Advisor and Arranger to Metro Africa Xpress (MAX) on its USD 8 Million in Debt Capital Raise

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Verdant IMAP

The transaction establishes a foundation for further institutional capital deployment into the business

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 13, 2026/APO Group/ –Metro Africa Xpress (MAX), Africa’s leading electric mobility platform, has secured USD 8 million in debt funding from Triple Jump, marking a key milestone in scaling its clean mobility operations.

Triple Jump, a Netherlands-based impact investment manager with a strong track record of financing inclusive financial institutions and clean energy businesses across emerging markets, represents one of MAX’s first international institutional lenders. Its participation underscores confidence in MAX’s operating model, asset-backed lending structure, and long-term scalability within Africa’s evolving mobility sector.

The funding will support:

  • Expansion of MAX’s electric vehicle (EV) fleet
  • Rollout of battery swap infrastructure
  • Continued development of its Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) financing platform

MAX’s model is designed to lower barriers to asset ownership for commercial drivers (“Champions”), enabling income generation through access to productive mobility assets while reducing operating costs relative to internal combustion alternatives.

Operating across Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon, with Nigeria as its core market, MAX is building an integrated ecosystem comprising:

  • Purpose-built EVs adapted for local conditions
  • Battery swapping infrastructure to address charging constraints
  • IoT-enabled fleet management systems
  • Embedded financing solutions for underserved drivers

Verdant IMAP acted as sole financial advisor and arranger on the transaction, supporting structuring, investor engagement, and execution. The transaction establishes a foundation for further institutional capital deployment into the business.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Verdant Capital.

 

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Rhino Resources Joins African Energy Week (AEW) as Gold Sponsor as Southern African Exploration Expands

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African Energy Chamber

Rhino Resources will participate at the 2026 edition of the African Energy Week conference and exhibition – Africa’s premier event for the energy sector – as a gold sponsor

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, May 8, 2026/APO Group/ –Exploration company Rhino Resources has joined the African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 Conference and Exhibition as a Gold Sponsor, reinforcing its role as one of Africa’s emerging independents driving frontier and greenfield exploration across Southern Africa.

 

Scheduled for October 12–16 in Cape Town, AEW 2026 comes as Rhino Resources accelerates exploration activity across Namibia’s Orange Basin while broadening its footprint into South Africa’s Karoo Basin. The sponsorship reflects the company’s strategy to deepen engagement with investors, service providers and policymakers as it advances multiple assets toward development readiness and future final investment decisions.

At the core of Rhino Resources’ upstream momentum is its multi-well deepwater drilling campaign in Namibia’s Orange Basin – one of the world’s most prolific frontier exploration hotspots. The company is targeting FIDs between late 2026 and early 2027 across operated and partner-led assets, including the co-development of the Volans and Capricornus discoveries in Petroleum Exploration License (PEL) 85.

Rhino Resources represents a new generation of African-focused independents that are willing to take on frontier risk to unlock long-term energy value

Recent drilling results have strengthened the commercial case of these Namibian assets. The Volans-1X well delivered strong gas-condensate flow rates in February 2026, while the earlier Capricornus-1X well confirmed the presence of light oil, positioning Rhino Resources among the key players contributing to Namibia’s ambition of achieving first oil production by 2030.

Beyond Namibia, Rhino Resources is broadening its portfolio through onshore exploration in South Africa’s Karoo Basin. The company is advancing a six-well campaign targeting helium, methane and hydrogen resources in the Free State Province – a move that reflects both geographic diversification and a wider strategy to support a more resilient and diversified regional energy mix.

This expansion comes at a time when Southern African economies face energy security challenges due to ongoing disruptions to global shipping routes, reinforcing the importance of unlocking domestic resource potential to support industrial growth and reduce external vulnerabilities.

Rhino Resources’ role as Gold Sponsor at AEW 2026 therefore comes at a pivotal stage in its growth trajectory. The event provides a platform to showcase its exploration progress, strengthen partnerships and position its projects within the broader African energy investment landscape.

At AEW 2026, Rhino Resources’ executives are expected to participate in high-level panel discussions, offering insights into frontier basin development, cost-efficient exploration strategies and pathways to fast-tracking project commercialization across emerging African markets.

“Rhino Resources represents a new generation of African-focused independents that are willing to take on frontier risk to unlock long-term energy value,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “The company’s recent discoveries in Namibia and expanding exploration strategy in South Africa highlight the scale of opportunity across the continent and the critical role independents play in translating resources into production, investment and economic growth.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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