Follow Us on Google Discover
European trade-finance firm Zvilo Group Ltd. plans to make Africa its biggest market by 2030, with its expansion across the continent expected to drive global annual disbursements to €2 billion.
Zvilo Africa Chief Executive Officer, Peter Maila, disclosed the targets in an interview with Bloomberg, according to a report published on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. The expansion covers nine African countries, including Nigeria and South Africa.
Founded in 2018, London-based Zvilo provides trade finance and working capital to small and medium-sized enterprises, helping businesses fund their operations while awaiting customer payments.
Zvilo targets 60% of loan book in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030
Maila said sub-Saharan Africa would account for the majority of the company’s lending portfolio by the end of the decade.
Also Read
- “We have ambitions to grow our sub-Saharan Africa business to 60% of our loan book by 2030,” he said.
He added that the African expansion would support the company’s global disbursement targets, with annual financing projected to approach €1 billion by 2028 before more than doubling by 2030.
- “We plan to reach €950 million in annual disbursements by 2028, and €2 billion by 2030,” Maila said.
Zvilo has disbursed more than €450 million to about 3,900 businesses across 41 countries. Through its expansion, the company aims to increase the number of businesses it has supported globally to 15,000 by 2030.
Targeting suppliers in mining, banking and retail
Zvilo’s strategy centres on financing smaller businesses that supply major corporations, particularly in mining, banking, insurance and supermarket retail.
- In South Africa, the company plans to work with the country’s 20 biggest listed companies as anchor buyers, using their supplier networks to identify SMEs that need working capital.
The model would allow suppliers to receive payment for their invoices ahead of the buyers’ settlement dates, helping them purchase stock, meet operating expenses and pay their own suppliers.
According to Zvilo, each of these large companies owes suppliers between R5 billion and R20 billion, with payments generally due within 30 to 60 days. SMEs account for as much as a fifth of those outstanding amounts.
The company opened offices in South Africa in July, with an initial R2 billion working-capital commitment and plans to increase this to R10 billion within three to five years. Maila said half of the initial fundraising target had been secured, allowing deployment to begin.
- Beyond South Africa, Zvilo plans to open an office in Sierra Leone before the end of 2026, followed by Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Ivory Coast and Tanzania by 2028.
Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo are scheduled to follow in 2029. While Africa is expected to become its largest regional market, the company wants South Africa to become its biggest individual country market by 2030.
Foreign investors deepen financing push into African businesses
Zvilo’s expansion comes alongside financing initiatives by foreign investors and development finance institutions seeking to support African businesses through working capital, trade facilities and equity investments.
Nairametrics reported in April 2026 that British International Investment, the UK’s development finance institution, unveiled a five-year strategy targeting £9 billion in fresh capital for African frontier markets, including Nigeria. BII plans to contribute nearly £5 billion, with the balance expected from private investors. Its priority sectors include financial services, trade, power, transport and digital infrastructure.
- In a more direct push into business financing, Nairametrics reported in March that BII and UBA UK signed a letter of intent to explore trade finance collaboration across Africa. The proposed partnership aims to expand access to trade and working-capital facilities for businesses, particularly those facing difficulties obtaining letters of credit, guarantees and supply-chain financing.
Earlier, in July 2022, Nairametrics reported that BII and INOKS Capital launched a $25 million Trade Access Programme to finance African SMEs and trade intermediaries. The initiative targeted agricultural and food supply chains, including aggregators, e-commerce platforms and financial institutions serving smaller businesses.
- Foreign backing has also extended to platforms providing financial services to businesses. In January 2025, Nairametrics reported that Visa invested an undisclosed amount in Moniepoint, following the fintech’s $110 million Series C round.
Moniepoint provides payments, bank accounts, credit and business management tools to SMEs, offering another channel through which international investment supports business activity.
