Angel investors commit US$350,000 to creative entrepreneurs at Afreximbank’s CANEX pitch session

 

African Export – Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) Angel investors participating in a pitch session at the just-concluded CANEX WKND 2024 in Algiers have committed a total of US$350,000 in investment into the three best pitches presented at the competition.

The pitch session, dubbed “CANEX Presents the Angels”, featured 12 creative entrepreneurs from 10 African countries who were selected to present their businesses for review with a view to raising capital for growth and expansion.

Moji Hunponu-Wusu, Founder of Woodhall Capital, made the leading commitment of US$250,000 in equity by issuing an investment term sheet to Cameroonian fashion designer Kibonen Nfi, the founder of the Kibonen brand.

An additional commitment of US$100,000 was made by a consortium of three angel investors: Ibrahim Sagna, Chairman of Silverbacks Holdings, Moji Hunponu-Wusu, and Efe Ukala, Founder of ImpactHER. They jointly agreed to invest in the top three pitches of the competition.

With that arrangement, the equity commitment will go to Zimbabwean Pam Samasuwo-Nyawiri of Vanhu Vamwe, whose pitch earned the top spot, Ms. Nfi, whose pitch was second, and another Zimbabwean, Thulani Ngazimbi of The Rad Black Kids, who had the third best pitch.

Commenting on the pitch session, Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development Bank, Afreximbank, said that the competition was aimed at catalysing financing to complement the capacity building and market access support that the CANEX platform provides African creatives.

“Facilitating access to angel investment like this complements our existing efforts by providing the capital required for creative entrepreneurs to maximize the benefits of our capacity building and market access interventions,” said Mrs. Awani, adding, “The investments into the creative enterprises will enable them to expand their businesses, trade across borders, create new jobs and contribute to economic development.”

The four-day CANEX WKND 2024 ran from 16 to 19 October and was held under the theme “One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World”. It was attended by almost 4,000 delegates representing a diversity of creative sectors from across Africa and featured live performances, speeches by industry leaders and experts, masterclass sessions, fashion shows, sporting events, high energy music concerts and gastronomical showcases alongside a vibrant market and exhibition.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

Media Contact:
Vincent Musumba
Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations)
Email: vmusumba@afreximbank.com

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About Afreximbank:
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra-and extra-African trade. For 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank is setting up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2023, Afreximbank’s total assets and guarantees stood at over US$37.3 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$6.1 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa1), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

For more information, visit: www.Afreximbank.com