CRDB Bank Plans $1.3 Billion Multi-Currency Bond Programme To Fuel East African Expansion
CRDB Bank Plc, Tanzania’s largest lender by assets, has announced plans to launch a $1.3 billion multi-currency bond programme beginning in the first quarter of 2027, aiming to raise funds for regional growth and sustainable lending.
The CRDB’s multi-currency bond programme will feature notes denominated in US dollars, euros and Tanzanian shillings. Bank leadership said the size of each currency tranche will be determined by investor demand. The initiative was discussed during the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in October 2026.
The $1.3 billion ceiling marks a sharp increase from CRDB’s previous $300 million Medium-Term Note programme, which included the Kijani Green Bond and the Samia Infrastructure Bond. The new programme is intended to support the bank’s next phase of expansion across East Africa and growth in sustainable assets.
CRDB’s total assets reached TZS 26.40 trillion (more than $8.1 billion) by June 2026, giving it roughly 29% of the Tanzanian banking market. First-half 2026 net profit rose 20.3% to TZS 417 billion, building on strong results in the 2025 financial year.
The bank currently operates in Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Management is evaluating possible market entries into Kenya or Zambia by 2027 through acquisitions or joint ventures, while also supporting further growth in Uganda and its existing subsidiaries.
Proceeds are expected to finance strategic acquisitions or partnerships, sustain credit lines for operations in Burundi and the DRC, and continue funding for green infrastructure, sustainable projects and Islamic finance products such as sukuk, following the model of earlier specialised bonds.
Global investors have shown strong appetite for CRDB debt. In September 2026 the bank sought a $150 million syndicated term loan and received $744 million in commitments before settling on a $300 million facility.
The multi-currency structure is designed both to attract international and domestic capital and to help manage foreign-exchange risk by matching liabilities more closely with the currencies of the bank’s regional assets and trade finance business.
CRDB plans to begin investor feedback sessions to gauge demand before launching the programme in early 2027. The flexible allocation between hard currencies and the Tanzanian shilling is intended to balance access to global institutional funds with participation from East African investors.
