Chez Daba, nous sommes fiers d’annoncer notre participation à l’offre primaire du « Fonds de Titrisation de Créances Electricité pour Tous » (FCTC EPT 2023-2028), qui a maintenant été inscrit avec succès à la bourse régionale, la Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM). Cette étape importante a eu lieu le 15 mai 2024, au siège de la BRVM à Abidjan-Plateau.
Le FCTC Electricité Pour Tous 2023-2038 est la première obligation sociale émise dans l’Union Économique et Monétaire Ouest-Africaine (UEMOA) dans le cadre du programme Électricité pour Tous (PEPT). Ce programme vise à fournir un accès généralisé à l’électricité, un élément essentiel pour le développement socio-économique en Côte d’Ivoire.
L’émission de 6 000 000 d’obligations, gérée par un consortium composé de BOA Capital Securities et de NSIA Finance, a reçu un fort soutien de la part des investisseurs clés, notamment la Société Financière Internationale (SFI) et le Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF).
L’implication de Daba s’aligne parfaitement avec notre mission d’améliorer l’accès à des opportunités d’investissement de haute qualité à travers l’Afrique. L’engagement de notre plateforme en faveur de la transparence, de la fiabilité et de la facilité d’investissement se reflète dans notre soutien aux initiatives qui favorisent le développement durable et la croissance économique dans la région.
L’émission a vu des obligations évaluées à 10 000 Francs CFA chacune, proposées en trois tranches avec des maturités de 7, 10 et 15 ans, et des taux d’intérêt de 7%, 7,25% et 7,5% respectivement. Le succès de cette offre souligne la confiance robuste des investisseurs dans les projets qui offrent à la fois des rendements financiers et un impact social.
La cérémonie d’inscription a rassemblé des personnalités éminentes des secteurs de l’énergie et de la finance, soulignant le large soutien aux objectifs du Fonds PEPT. Des représentants de la BRVM, tels que Mme Corinne Ormon et M. Zahalo Siliué, ont souligné l’importance d’utiliser les marchés financiers régionaux pour financer des projets qui améliorent les infrastructures et la qualité de vie des populations locales.
L’initiative « Electricité pour Tous » a déjà connecté 1,7 million de foyers au réseau électrique depuis sa création en 2014, avec un objectif de connecter 4 millions de foyers d’ici la fin de sa phase actuelle. La récente émission d’obligations vise à financer 800 000 connexions supplémentaires au cours des trois prochaines années, avec un objectif total de levée de fonds de 120 milliards de Francs CFA d’ici fin 2024.
Daba est honorée de soutenir l’inscription du Fonds FCTC, renforçant ainsi notre dévouement à faciliter des investissements à impact. En tant que première obligation sociale adossée à des actifs cotée en Afrique de l’Ouest, cette évolution ouvre de nouvelles voies pour les investisseurs et démontre l’immense potentiel des marchés africains.
Nous nous réjouissons de continuer à jouer notre rôle dans la transformation des paysages d’investissement à travers l’Afrique, en veillant à ce que nos investisseurs puissent participer et bénéficier de la croissance et du développement du continent. Grâce à des initiatives comme celle-ci, nous restons fermes dans notre engagement à créer des opportunités qui favorisent le progrès et la prospérité pour tous.
Pour plus d’informations sur la manière dont vous pouvez investir dans des projets transformateurs comme le Fonds PEPT, visitez notre plateforme et explorez la gamme diversifiée d’opportunités que nous offrons.
At Daba, we are proud to announce our participation in the primary offering of the “Electricity for All Debt Securitization Fund” (FCTC EPT 2023-2028), which has now been successfully listed on the regional stock exchange, the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM). This significant milestone took place on May 15, 2024, at the BRVM headquarters in Abidjan-Plateau.
The FCTC Electricité Pour Tous 2023-2038 is the first Social Bond issued in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU, also known by the French acronym UEMOA) under the Electricity for All Program (PEPT). This program aims to provide widespread access to electricity, an essential component for socio-economic development in Ivory Coast.
The issuance of 6,000,000 bonds, managed by a consortium of BOA Capital Securities and NSIA Finance, received strong backing from key investors, including the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF).
Daba’s involvement aligns perfectly with our mission to enhance access to high-quality investment opportunities across Africa. Our platform’s commitment to transparency, reliability, and ease of investing is reflected in our support for initiatives that drive sustainable development and economic growth in the region.
The issuance saw bonds valued at 10,000 CFA Francs each, offered in three tranches with maturities of 7, 10, and 15 years, and interest rates of 7%, 7.25%, and 7.5% respectively. The success of this offering underscores the robust investor confidence in projects that deliver both financial returns and social impact.
The listing ceremony gathered prominent figures from the energy and financial sectors, highlighting the broad support for the PEPT Fund’s goals. Representatives from BRVM, such as Ms. Corinne Ormon and Mr. Zahalo Siliué, emphasized the importance of utilizing regional financial markets to finance projects that enhance infrastructure and improve the quality of life for local populations.
The “Electricity for All” initiative has already connected 1.7 million households to the electricity grid since its inception in 2014, with a target to connect 4 million households by the end of its current phase. The recent bond issuance aims to fund an additional 800,000 connections over the next three years, with a total fundraising goal of 120 billion CFA Francs by late 2024.
Daba is honored to support the FCTC Fund’s listing, reinforcing our dedication to facilitating impactful investments. As the first asset-backed social bond listed in West Africa, this development opens new avenues for investors and demonstrates the immense potential within African markets.
We look forward to continuing our role in transforming investment landscapes across Africa, ensuring our investors can participate in and benefit from the continent’s growth and development. Through initiatives like this, we remain steadfast in our commitment to creating opportunities that drive progress and prosperity for all.
For more information on how you can invest in transformative projects like the PEPT Fund, visit our platform and explore the diverse range of opportunities we offer.
From Senegal’s hubs to Cote d’Ivoire’s fintech advancements, exciting tech developments are shaping the future in francophone Africa.
Did you know that Africa is home to the largest number of French speakers in the world?
Yes, you read that right.
The French language, brought to the continent through colonialism by France and Belgium, is today spoken by an estimated 167 million people in Africa in 2023, who make up 51% of the global French-speaking population.
This population is spread across 29 countries, more than half of Africa’s 55, extending from the Maghreb in North Africa to sub-Saharan nations in the center and west such as Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon.
Up to 21 of those countries are known as “francophone countries”, where French is either the official or commonly spoken language.
And, according to some estimates, there will be 700 million French speakers by 2050, 80% of them in Africa.
Yet for all its ubiquity and predominance, the francophone region often remains overshadowed in discussions surrounding one of the continent’s most prominent trends: the surge in technology innovation and startups.
For the better part of the last decade, much of the attention, and investments, have been skewed toward startups in predominantly English-speaking countries.
For context, francophone Africa typically attracts less than 20% of Africa’s annual VC funding.
Far from that, the region has produced some of the most notable fintech and software startups in Africa.
Senegal’s Wave (mobile money service), Tunisia’s InstaDeep(AI solutions provider recently acquired by BioNTech SE in a $684m deal), Morocco’s Chari (an e-commerce platform for small retailers), and Algeria’s Yassir (a super App for on-demand, ride-hailing, last-mile delivery, payment services, and more)are some shining examples.
So why does francophone Africa get sidelined?
Language barriers and investor preferences play a role in this disparity.
Most venture capital investors and firms active in Africa originate from the US and UK, favoring Anglophone markets due to familiarity.
Meanwhile, French investors are scarce in the African startup scene, contributing to the uneven funding distribution.
Another major reason for the lag in francophone African startups’ funding is their recent entry into the scene.
Their emergence in the last three years and early-stage status hinder larger funding rounds.
In 2021, Senegalese fintech Wave achieved a remarkable milestone as the country’s inaugural startup to reach a $1 billion valuation after raising $200 million.
Beating the odds: the rise of francophone startups
In 2021, Senegalese fintech Wave achieved a remarkable milestone as the country’s inaugural startup to reach a $1bn valuation after raising $200m.
Notably, it also stood out as the first unicorn outside of the traditionally dominant tech hubs such as Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, and Kenya—and the pioneer in French-speaking Africa.
The IFC-led funding received significant attention, sparking curiosity about tech progress in the broader region.
Since then, investment in French-speaking African startups has steadily increased.
African startups raised $4.8bn in 2022, with Nigeria leading with $1.2bn, followed by Kenya, Egypt, and South Africa.
But data from Africa: The Big Deal, a publication that tracks venture funding in Africa, revealed a shift in momentum beyond the “Big Four.”
French-speaking countries like Algeria, Tunisia, and Senegal attracted $151m, $119m, and $112m respectively.
Côte d’Ivoire raised $34m, and Togo reached the $10m funding mark for the first time. Mali also marked its most successful year with $6m.
While investment in central francophone Africa remains lower than in other regions, Chad, Cameroon, Congo, and DRC saw increased investment inflows: from $24m in 2021 to $50m in 2022.
What does the future hold for “the French” in Africa?
Several trends indicate a change in the tech venture fortunes of French-speaking Africa.
For one, the region boasts some of the highest mobile phone adoption rates, which is fueling the rise of even more tech-driven startups. Some of these are:
Julaya (Côte d’Ivoire): provides African businesses with digital accounts to make payments, and disburse mobile money transactions to their employees and suppliers.
Gozem (Togo): a super app that offers a host of services – including transport, e-commerce, and financial services – across several countries in francophone Africa.
Daba (pan-African): enables people, primarily in francophone Africa, access a wide range of investment products, from stocks listed on the regional exchange BRVM, bonds, and mutual funds to early-stage ventures, all through a mobile application.
Jambo (DRC): focused on bringing Web3 to African markets with a mission to onboard the next billion African users.
Hub2 (Côte d’Ivoire): a leading fintech startup in interoperability and payment infrastructure in Francophone Africa, present in 14 countries.
Djamo (Côte d’Ivoire): offers digital banking solutions to people excluded financially.
Auto24 (Côte d’Ivoire): a direct-to-consumer used car company that provides new, innovative solutions to ensure transparent and secure transactions.
Bizao (Côte d’Ivoire): digitizes payments for local and international companies. Since 2019, Bizao has signed over 30 partnerships with telecom operators, banks, and mobile money operators in Africa.
Oko (Mali): develops affordable mobile-based crop insurance products to provide smallholder farmers with the financial security they need, regardless of unstable climate trends. The startup operates in Mali and Uganda and has brought insurance to more than 15,000 farmers.
Paps (Senegal): is a technology-driven transportation and logistics company that offers end-to-end services for customer satisfaction.
BioNTech bought InstaDeep for $684m.
The region also has a more conducive policy environment for innovation while offering startups a relatively easy regional expansion route due to shared culture, language, regulations, and currency.
Fourteen countries use the CFA franc, regulated by the West African Monetary and Economic Union and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community.
The currency is pegged to the Euro and does not fluctuate, providing the kind of foreign exchange stability that’s not available elsewhere on the continent.
Both unions represent 14% of Africa’s total population and 12% of its GDP.
In addition, the region is home to six out of the seven fastest-growing economies in sub-Saharan, per the IMF
French VC investors like Saviu, Orange Ventures, Newfund Capital, Proparco, CFAO, and AfricInvest are also increasingly backing startups in the region.
The presence of a robust early-stage support system in the form of competitions, incubators, accelerators, technological hubs, and venture studios is also contributing to entrepreneurship growth in the region.
Mstudio, for instance, supports early-stage entrepreneurs, and in terms of competitions, tech incubator Hadina RIMTI organizes the Entrepreneur’s Marathon in Mauritania.
For entrepreneurship training in Mali, workshops have been designed and conducted by local incubators CREATEAM and Impact Hub.
Jambar Tech Lab and Traction Camp meanwhile, are getting entrepreneurs in Senegal and Kenya ready to scale their businesses by partnering with incubators on the ground, CTIC Dakar & iHub.
And, open innovation programs like the Mali-based hackathon organized by DoniLab, CREATEAM, Jokkolabs, Teteliso & Impact Hub led to the design of a new urban mobility app for a large local firm.
The 400-million-population-strong francophone African market offers a distinctive opportunity as its tech ecosystem unfolds, and startups attract more attention and capital from regional and global investors.
While readiness for digital services varies across countries, recent successes like Wave and InstaDeep illustrate the region’s collective potential.
From Senegal’s tech hubs to Cote d’Ivoire’s fintech advancements, exciting tech developments are shaping the future of business and services in francophone Africa as much as they are in the more “popular” region.
