CCXI Reaffirms Afreximbank’s AAA Rating for Second Consecutive Year
The China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co. Ltd. (CCXI) has reaffirmed the African Export-Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) AAA issuer credit rating with a Stable outlook for the second consecutive year.
CCXI, in its 2026 Credit Rating Report released in Beijing on July 30, said it expects Afreximbank’s credit profile to remain stable over the next 12 to 18 months.
The rating agency attributed the bank’s strong credit profile to its strategic importance, sound risk management, flexible business development, strong profitability and prudent liquidity management.
It also highlighted Afreximbank’s very high coverage of current assets relative to short-term debt as a factor supporting the bank’s overall credit strength.
The reaffirmation is expected to strengthen Afreximbank’s access to diversified sources of funding, particularly in China, where the bank has expanded its presence in recent years.
In 2025, Afreximbank issued a RMB2.2 billion Panda bond, becoming the first African multilateral development institution to access China’s Panda bond market. The bank subsequently became a direct participant in China’s Cross-border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), further strengthening its role in facilitating China-Africa trade and investment flows.
Commenting on the rating, Chandi Mwenebungu, Managing Director, Treasury & Markets and Treasurer at Afreximbank, said the affirmation reflected the bank’s financial strength, disciplined risk management and strategic relevance to Africa and the global African community.
He said the rating would support the bank’s ability to fulfil its mandate, assist member states during periods of economic uncertainty and mobilise capital from diverse funding markets while maintaining its financial resilience.
The CCXI affirmation follows S&P Global Ratings’ assignment earlier this year of a BBB+ long-term and A-2 short-term issuer credit rating to Afreximbank, with a Stable outlook.
The bank also has investment-grade ratings from GCR (A), Japan Credit Rating Agency (A-) and Moody’s (Baa2).
As of December 2025, Afreximbank’s total assets and contingencies stood at more than $48.5 billion, while shareholder funds amounted to $8.4 billion.
Headquartered in Cairo, Egypt, Afreximbank is a pan-African multilateral financial institution established to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade.
The bank supports African industrialisation and regional trade, including through its role in implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
It operates the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which was adopted by the African Union as a payment and settlement platform to support AfCFTA implementation.
Afreximbank, working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the African Union, has also established a $10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries participating in the continental free trade framework.
