Moody’s Affirms AFC At A3 With Stable Outlook

AFRICAN STOCKS AND FINANCEAugust 20, 2026 at 7:58 PM UTC

TLDR

Moody’s affirmed Africa Finance Corporation’s A3 and Baa3 ratings, highlighting stronger capital and liquidity.
AFC raised $782 million in equity in 2026, aiming for $1 billion between 2024-2028, with 35% from new shareholders.
AFC’s usable equity increased to $5 billion in 2025, growing development-related assets and equity at a 23% annual rate.

Moody’s Ratings affirmed Africa Finance Corporation’s A3 long-term issuer and senior unsecured ratings, citing stronger capital, solid liquidity and stable asset quality as the infrastructure lender expands its balance sheet. The outlook remains stable. Moody’s also affirmed AFC’s Baa3 junior subordinated rating and P-2 short-term issuer rating.

The rating agency said AFC’s capital position has improved as existing and new shareholders add equity. The corporation raised $782 million of new equity by June 2026 under a campaign targeting $1 billion between 2024 and 2028. New shareholders supplied 35% of the capital raised. Usable equity increased to $5 billion in 2025 from $3.9 billion a year earlier.

AFC’s usable equity represented 24.5% of risk-adjusted assets in 2025, up from 22.5% in 2024, though Moody’s said the ratio remains below peers. Development-related assets and equity both grew at an annual rate of 23% between 2021 and 2025. The non-performing loan ratio remained below 1% for a second year, while provisions increased to $292 million.

Liquidity also supported the rating. AFC’s availability of liquid resources ratio stood at 202% in 2025. The corporation raised a $1.5 billion syndicated loan in 2025 and a $2 billion syndicated loan in 2026. It has also returned to bond markets, including a CHF 350 million digital bond. Moody’s noted that 70% of AFC’s debt matures within 1 to 5 years.

The main constraint is shareholder support. Nigeria still accounts for much of AFC’s ownership, with the Central Bank of Nigeria holding 38% of subscribed capital and Nigerian financial institutions another 35%. Callable capital stands at $51 million, equal to just 0.4% of outstanding debt. Moody’s said stronger capital, a broader shareholder base and lower refinancing risk could support an upgrade.

Points clés à retenir

Moody’s decision shows that AFC’s credit case is being supported by capital raising and asset performance, but its growth is creating new funding demands. The corporation has expanded development-related assets at a 23% annual rate since 2021 while keeping non-performing loans below 1%. It has also increased usable equity to $5 billion and raised $782 million toward its current shareholder-capital target. That gives AFC more capacity to finance infrastructure without weakening its balance sheet at the same pace. The risk is that assets keep growing faster than capital or that refinancing becomes harder. Around 70% of AFC’s debt matures within 1 to 5 years, which means continued access to bank and bond markets remains important. Its recent $2 billion syndicated loan and CHF 350 million digital bond show that access remains open. Ownership is another issue. Nigerian institutions still account for most subscribed capital, while callable capital provides little support relative to debt. For AFC, the next stage is not just raising more money. It is widening its shareholder base, keeping capital ratios stable and matching infrastructure growth with funding that does not create pressure on liquidity or credit quality.

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