The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) has renewed its memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers, harmonising efforts to promote Intra-African trade and investment in the continent’s automotive sector.

The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the recently concluded Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) in Algiers, Algeria by Dr. Gainmore Zanamwe, the Director of Trade Facilitation and Investment Promotion at Afreximbank, and Ms. Martina Biene, President of AAAM. Its key pillars are regional automotive value chains, automotive financing, and policy and capacity building.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Dr Zanamwe expressed Afreximbank’s commitment to support development of the automotive sector in Africa.

He added: “This MoU underscores the commitment of Afreximbank and AAAM to strengthen Africa’s industrialisation goals through strategic partnerships. By aligning financial innovation, policy support, and value chain development within the automotive sector, we are fostering a new era of intra-African trade and manufacturing. Our commitment to this initiative demonstrates how Afreximbank’s resources and expertise can transform continental aspirations into tangible economic outcomes.”

He stated that the MoU is expected to catalyse industrialisation by spurring local automotive manufacturing, strengthen regional integration, improve trade flows, create skilled jobs and reduce reliance on the import of second-hand vehicles across Africa.

“Afreximbank has been a phenomenal partner in our quest to drive growth and industrialisation of the automotive industry on the continent. We are pleased with the renewal of the MoU. Logistics, energy, skills development and financing mechanisms must keep pace with our ambitions. Afreximbank’s leadership is critical in this regard, but so too is the commitment of our governments to invest in infrastructure that connects factories to markets,” said Ms Biene, President of AAAM.

The revitalised framework aligns AAAM’s strategic expansion ambition by positioning it to take advantage of Afreximbank’s continental reach and trade-promotion mandate. It fosters coordinated efforts to map and activate regional value chains, deploy auto-specific financing solutions and strengthen national and continental automotive policy environments. It also envisages collaboration with institutions, like the African Union, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO), in order to enhance trade facilitation, capacity building, harmonised standards and mobilisation of blended financing to catalyse industrialisation and sustainable growth in Africa’s automotive sector.

“We must unite with key stakeholders to enable affordable mobility in Africa. The implementation of affordable vehicle and asset financing will unlock the potential the continent has. Despite challenges, the opportunities are immense. With coordinated action, Africa can manufacture at least between 3.5 and 5 million vehicles annually by 2035 – creating jobs for our youth, strengthening local supply chains, and ensuring that the benefits of industrialisation are shared across our continent,” Ms. Biene added.

The Africa Automotive Show held at IATF2025 brought together players in the automotive sector, including manufacturers, subcontractors and equipment manufacturers. It aimed to promote African potential in automotive manufacturing and strengthen regional supply chains. Hosted in collaboration with AAAM, the show focused on development of regional automotive supply chains within the whole of Africa.

Attended by more than 112,000 visitors from 132 countries, IATF2025, which took place from 4 to 10 September, ended on a remarkably high note with US$48.3 billion in trade and investment deals signed over the seven days of the continental exposition. It welcomed 2,148 exhibitors.