Finance that unleashes giant infrastructure projects was highlighted at the 2026 African Banker Awards, showing the size and scale of current projects as Africa builds out its future. Infrastructure deals dominated several key categories.

The Deal of the Year Equity was the Africa Finance Corporation’s partial exit from ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (IIP) as part of a $700 million capital raise. ARISE IIP is an infrastructure developer that designs, finances and operates Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and industrial parks across Africa. The transaction also represented the first direct investment by Vision Invest, a Saudi infrastructure investor, in to Africa. It is one of the largest private infrastructure capital raises in Africa.

The Deal of the Year Debt was a NGN 501.02 billion ($346.7m) bond issued by NBET Finance Company PLC in Nigeria, with the credit for the deal to lead financial advisor and issuing house CardinalStone Partners. The issuer is a special-purpose vehicle sponsored by the government-owned Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. The series 1 bond issuance is a 7-year, 17.50% fixed-rate power sector bond guaranteed by the Federal Government of Nigeria and listed on the FMDQ and the Nigerian (NGX) exchanges. The proceeds are used to recapitalize NBET by paying off legacy debts owed to power generation companies for 10 years of invoices (February 2015-March 2025).

Deal of the Year Infrastructure was South Africa’s Red Rocket Holdco, with Absa and Rand Merchant Bank taking credit for different parts of its financing. For example, according to its 2025 report, Red Rocket won three of the four solar projects awarded (650MW of the 890MW) as part of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPP ) Bid Window 7’s Value for Money allocation. In addition, Red Rocket won 590MW of contracted capacity (656MW nameplate capacity) of solar projects under the Bid Window 7 project extra allocation. The company also achieved the two-phased financial close of Overberg Wind Farm, South Africa’s largest commercially developed wind farm with a nameplate capacity of 400MW, and the financial close of Tournee Solar Park with a nameplate capacity of 331MW, together representing over ZAR 18bn ($1.1bn) investment.

The awards ceremony was on 27 May in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, on the sidelines of the African Development Bank Annual meetings. The aim is to honour banks and bankers as the sector continues to grow and contribute ever more significantly to Africa’s development

Omar Ben Yedder, Owner, Group Publisher and MD of IC Publications (African Banker, African Business and other magazines and websites) and Chair of the Awards Committee, told the ceremony: “Nothing significant will move on this continent without strong banks and strong financial institutions at the centre. The coming decades will be defined by how courageous our business leaders are and by how willing our banks are to walk with them into new sectors, new markets and new models of collaboration.”

Zambia’s Situmbeko Musokotwane won the coveted Minister of Finance of the Year, highlighting the economic turnaround. André Wameso, Governor of the Banque Centrale du Congo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was recognised for supporting the growth of its banking sector as well as creating the conditions that supported DRC’s $1.25bn eurobond issuance in April 2026, exceeding its initial target of $750m.

Other top achievers included Ecobank winning Bank of the Year, 2026. Ecobank operates in 36 African countries and has reported a return to growth and profitability and started paying dividends to its shareholders after several years. Serge Ekué, won the prestigious African Banker of the Year, an investment banker who has been President of the Banque Ouest-Africaine de Développement (BOAD) since 2020.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Rawbank won The Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) Bank of the Year Award. This is the fourth year of the award to celebrate African financial institutions that advance access to finance for women-led businesses across Africa.

The African Banker Awards are organised by African Banker magazine and IC Events under the patronage of the African Development Bank.

Supporters in 2026 included: Platinum sponsor, the African Guarantee Fund, created to share risks with commercial banks to encourage them to lend to the SME sector. Cocktail sponsor, the African Trade and Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI), which provides facilities to ensure against country risks and other associated insurance. Gold sponsors, Afreximbank and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID). Associate partner, Nigeria’s GTBank, and Main Partner, Algest Investment Bank. Music was by top global and Congolese singer, composer and producer, Koffi Olomidé

Full list of winners 2026:

• Banker of the Year: Serge Ekué, President at West African Development Bank BOAD
• Bank of the Year: Ecobank
• Sustainable Bank of the Year: Bank of Industry
• Fintech of the Year: Ziidi Trader, Nairobi Stock Exchange
• DFI of the Year: Afreximbank
• SME Bank of the Year: Co-operative Bank of Kenya
• Deal of the Year: Infrastructure: Red Rocket Holdco – Absa & Rand Merchant Bank
• Deal of the Year: Debt: NBET Finance Company PLC ₦501.02 billion (USD$346.7 million) Bond Issuance – Cardinal Stone Partners
• Deal of the Year: Equity: Arise IIP Exit/Equity Raise – African Finance Corporation
• Lifetime Achievement: Henri-Claude Oyima, Chairman of the board of directors of BGFIBank Group
• African Banker Icon: Paulo Gomes
• Central Bank Governor of the Year: André Wameso, Governor of the Central Bank of the Democratic Republic of Congo (BCC)
• Minister of Finance of the Year: Hon. Situmbeko Musokotwane, Minister of Finance and National Planning, Zambia
• Regional Bank – North Africa: Bank of Africa – Morocco
• Regional Bank – Southern Africa: Zanaco
• Regional Bank – West Africa: GCB Bank PLC
• Regional Bank – East Africa: CRDB
• Regional Bank – Central Africa: Trust Merchant Bank
• The Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) Bank of the Year Award: Rawbank.

AUTHOR DISCLOSURE:

It is an honour to be a judge at the 2026 African Banker Awards. It is always a privilege to learn and study the many top-quality submissions for each of the categories that I judge. Every year I am deeply impressed by the ambition, excellence, expertise and innovation of Africa’s leading banks and bankers and the growing scale and sophistication of banking and finance. The competition is usually very intense, often only a small difference separates my top scorers from the second in each category, all of those short-listed are impressive winners with successful years or deals to celebrate.