HEADLINES
STANDARD BANK CONTINUES TO BACK PIONEERING OPTASIA, AI-LED FINTECH WITH LANDMARK USD 330 MILLION SYNDICATE D REFINANCING
Standard Bank, Africa’s largest bank by assets, continues to support Optasia, a leading AI‑led fintech company with the largest fintech IPO on the JSE in 2025, through a joint underwrite and participation in the syndicated refinancing and upsizing of its term facilities of USD 180 million and bank guarantees of USD 150 million.
The bank acted as joint mandated lead arranger and underwriter for the facilities. As Africa’s fintech sector continues to grow and scale, access to flexible, long‑term capital has become a defining factor in sustaining the growth momentum.
“This landmark transaction reflects Standard Bank’s continued commitment to supporting high‑growth, technology‑enabled businesses by delivering tailored funding solutions that evolve alongside client ambition. It also marks a deepening of the bank’s long‑standing relationship with Optasia, reinforcing our credentials as an able partner interested in the long-term relationship with clients across multiple funding cycles as they scale across Africa and beyond,” says Jameel Nagdee, Executive Vice President, Structured Capital at Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB).
As fintech companies transition from early growth to continental scale, funding structures must keep pace with increasingly complex operational and geographic demands. Through this syndication, Standard Bank worked with Optasia to enhance funding certainty, expand capacity and provide long‑term flexibility.
The solution supports Optasia’s accelerated growth trajectory, enabling the business to continue expanding its platform and footprint while maintaining the agility required of a data‑driven, technology‑led organisation.
“According to BDO’s report on Fintechs in Africa, the continent’s Fintech market led by South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, and Kenya is projected to grow to US $65 billion in 2030. We are optimistic about the future of Optasia and look forward to its next thrilling stage of expansion,” says Salvador Anglada, CEO of Optasia.
The transaction further advances Standard Bank’s purpose of driving Africa’s growth. By partnering with Optasia at this stage of its growth journey, the bank is helping to build a more inclusive, resilient and digitally enabled financial ecosystem – one that supports entrepreneurship, broadens access to finance and contributes to long‑term economic development across emerging markets.
“As Africa’s fintech landscape continues to evolve, collaborations of this nature signal a growing alignment between capital providers and technology‑driven businesses shaping the future of finance on the continent,” concludes Hulisani Manyatshe Vice President, Structured Capital at Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB).
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