Harare, (New Ziana) – Continental bank, the Africa Import and Export Bank (Afreximbank) on Tuesday said it was forging ahead with plans to construct a multi-million dollar office complex in Harare, catering for the whole southern Africa region.

The government of Zimbabwe donated land to the bank in 2017 for the project.

Egypt headquartered Afreximbank, which has been one of the biggest financiers of Zimbabwe’s economic development programmes in light of dried up international financial support, said at the time it would use the Harare office as the first to implement a new concept under which it transforms its buildings into one stop trade services shops.

On Tuesday, the bank invited contractors’ interested in taking part in the building project to submit expressions of interest.

“The 20 000 square meter iconic mixed-use business complex shall provide an integrated one-stop shop for trade facilitation and information services and trade finance and offer a range of facilities, corporate office space, conference and exhibition centre, innovation and incubation hub, knowledge centre, hotel, retail etcetera,” Afreximbank said.

Established in 1993, Afreximbank’s mission is to “stimulate a consistent expansion, diversification and development of African trade, while operating as a first class, profit-oriented, socially responsible financial institution and a centre of excellence in African trade matters.”

The bank is currently led by Benedict Oramah (pictured above with President Emmerson Mnangagwa), who is its president and chairman.

Besides Afreximbank, Zimbabwe also houses the southern Africa headquarters of the Trade and Development Bank, formerly known as the PTA Bank, which is the financial arm for the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.
New Ziana