CRDB Bank, Tanzania’s largest commercial bank, has secured a USD 200 million syndicated loan facility arranged by Investec Bank and Intesa Sanpaolo to expand financing for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), corporate clients, and infrastructure projects in Tanzania and Burundi over the next two years.
The facility is the fourth syndication round launched since 2022, originally designed to bolster CRDB Bank’s capital base. Each round has offered international lenders participation in one-year and two-year term tranches.
In 2025, the two-year tranche was upsized from an initial USD 100 million target to USD 200 million due to strong demand.
Commitments reached USD 567 million, more than double the target, with USD 416.5 million offered for the one-year tranche and USD 151 million for the two-year tranche.
The funds will provide working capital and strengthen CRDB Bank’s lending portfolio in key growth sectors, including project and commodity-linked infrastructure finance.
Marc Kohne, Head of Africa Leveraged Finance at Investec Corporate & Institutional Banking, said: “As a sign of continued market confidence in CRDB Bank and the future potential of the East African economy, the syndicated term loan facility was again oversubscribed.”
Leanne Large, Head of Loan Distribution and Syndication at Investec Bank, noted that demand for the longer-term tranche was higher than in previous years, while Rowan King, Head of Africa Business Development at Investec, highlighted the steady growth of the programme since its launch in 2022.
The lender pool has also expanded significantly, from 13 in 2022 to 30 in 2025, with new participants including South African banks and the Africa Finance Corporation from Nigeria.
Gustaaf Eerenstein of Intesa Sanpaolo said: “The continued success of this benchmark deal, culminating in the 2025 syndicated loan being oversubscribed, is testament to the quality of the bank and its people. It is also a positive reflection on Tanzania and bodes well for the future.”
CRDB Bank Group CEO Abdulmajid Nsekela said the facility will directly support economic development: “The oversubscription and uptake of longer-term tranches reflect the strong confidence investors have in Africa’s considerable growth potential, alongside CRDB Bank’s creditworthiness, reputation, and leadership. This positions us to continue delivering more innovative financial solutions and accelerating client growth across our markets.”
He added that Moody’s recent B1 rating with stable outlook strengthened lenders’ trust in the bank’s ability to meet obligations. “The consistent oversubscription of our funding rounds reflects the world’s growing confidence in Africa’s economic future. The record USD 567 million bid from an ever-widening pool of global investors highlights Africa’s rising status as a destination for sustainable growth and opportunity, with CRDB Bank proud to play its part in unlocking this potential,” he said.
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