Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has secured a 524 million US dollars equivalent three-year Samurai term loan, its largest in Japan to date, as investor demand for African infrastructure financing strengthens. The dual-currency facility, comprising 505 million US dollars and JPY 3 billion, was significantly oversubscribed, according to AFC.

The loan underlines AFC’s growing footprint in Japan’s capital markets, following a 2019 debut Samurai facility and its 2023 guarantee of Egypt’s JPY 75 billion Samurai Bond. The corporation also holds an A+ (Stable) long-term issuer credit rating from the Japan Credit Rating Agency. Its previous 2022 Samurai loan of 419 million US dollars equivalent matured in October 2025 and was fully repaid.

Japan forms a key part of AFC’s broader strategy to tap Asian capital markets, where it has raised over 1.3 billion US dollars across Chinese, Indian and Korean loan facilities in the past decade. Proceeds from the latest facility will be used for general corporate purposes, including funding infrastructure projects across Africa.

The transaction was arranged by Mizuho Bank, MUFG Bank and SMBC Bank International, which acted as Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners. Several first-time lenders, including Bank of Taiwan, China Construction Bank Corporation and The Chiba Bank, participated in the loan following a lender roadshow at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development in August.

AFC said the facility expands its investor base in Japan while reinforcing its ability to mobilise financing for infrastructure across the continent.